#turns out I really needed to step back from writing for a while--center myself on some things

[iiguess]

" i'm sorry, what do you mean i missed a whole discussion about florida and two grown men speaking like teenage-wannabes—-? "

[it-happened-one-fic]

Even If The World Itself Should Fall Down - Malleus (Glorious Masquerade)

Author Notes: So, I've been having a lot of fun reading Glorious Masquerade and I saw an opening and received encouragement from friends to just go ahead and write some fics for this event. So this one is Malleus's and it was written to the “As the World Falls Down” cover by Grace Potter. The dance in this fic was inspired by Andrei and Natasha’s waltz scene from Episode 3 of BBC’s “War and Peace” (2016). As per usual, reader is gender-neutral. I hope you enjoy!

Type: Gender-neutral reader/ sfw/ Glorious Masquerade/ romance/ some pining/ fluff/ dancing

Word Count: 1338

It was the part of the trip everyone had been waiting for, but I found myself still lost in my own thoughts about everything that had occurred since coming to Fleur City. 

A plot regarding the supposed evils of magic, the flames, the flowers, the ringing of the bell, and everything else.

 It was almost too much to process, even considering the fact I’d seen overblots. Perhaps the most distracting thing was the fact that I was so relieved. No one had died, lost their magic, or ended up horribly injured, and the matter had been resolved. 

I leaned against the wall, sighing slightly as people swirled past me in the midst of the masquerade. Either classmates and friends or the people who attended this school or one of the other magic academies themselves. 

It was a swirling eddy of rich fabrics and masked faces.

I had never truly pictured myself in such an opulent scene, and it felt only right, in a great many respects, that I remained on the sidelines. Grim had long since slunk off in search of food and left me alone to watch everyone else.

But I didn’t remain alone for long, as a tall figure soon came cutting their way through the crowd.

Malleus approached with unhesitating steps, my view of him occasionally blocked by a couple twirling by even as he walked towards me. A slight smile was on his face as he drew closer until he emerged from the dancers to stand in front of me.

His hand that had been holding his mask this whole time lowered so that I could clearly see his face as he bent slightly at the waist and held out his other gloved hand with a smile that curved easily across his face, “May I?” 

I blinked at him, half-surprised, before a smile slid onto my face. Because, of course, he wouldn’t leave me stranded all on my own. He knew loneliness well and had no doubt felt sympathy for me the very moment he’d seen me standing on my own.

“I don’t really know the steps,” I warned teasingly, even as I slipped my hand into his. His gloved fingers curled carefully over my hand as he pulled me away from the wall and towards him.

“Then I shall guide you; you need only trust me, Child of Man,” And as he spoke there was a certain villainy to his smile. Almost like he was proud that I’d accepted his offer, as if I’d rejected others. 

It was amusingly similar to a dragon that had found itself a new treasure to hoard all to itself, and I shook my head amusedly but let him lead me out onto the floor. Carefully guiding me around and between other dancing duos who slowly began to look our way with either surprised or intrigued expressions. 

Despite the way I glanced around, Malleus’s eyes stayed on me until we reached the center of the floor, directly under the chandler.

I turned to face him, my hand still in his as I looked at his face. And he had, at long last, looked away from me to carefully enter our dancer’s hold. 

One of his hands on my waist as the other arm was bent around so that it was pressed firmly against his own back, while I had one hand resting lightly on his shoulder and the other held out to hold my clothes out of the way of our footsteps.

Bright green eyes slowly shifted to look at me, and I was close enough to even see his eyelashes fluttering slightly as he met my gaze. The slightest of smiles on his face before he stepped forward, and I stepped back to the very first strings of this new song.  

It was an older style of dance; I could tell that much from the fact he had one arm pressed to his back, which wasn’t part of any modern style, and a part of me wondered if it was a form from the Valley of Thorns. 

From what Sebek had told me, the people there were partial to what many might refer to as more vintage aspects of life.

But I wasn’t complaining; there was something especially lovely about this type of waltz. And I found myself smiling as Malleus pivoted us around the room.

We spiraled around, remaining in the center of the room as the other dancers moved back and away from us. Eyeing us and no doubt questioning why exactly I, of all people, was dancing with the famed and typically feared Malleus Draconia.

After all, I was no one special, and he was the heir to the throne of the Valley of Thorns. An odd couple, to say the least.

As we entered a particularly long set of rotations, Malleus extended the arm he’d had behind his back. Humming slightly as I almost instinctively shifted my hand from his shoulder to his now-free hand.

His fingers curled over and enveloped my hand, as he also shifted to the side so that we were joined only by our arms, which crossed over each other’s chests, as we faced each other and we continued to spin. Almost parallel to one another.

I exhaled softly, relaxing the longer the two of us danced, and I realized that I really could trust him to lead me through this entire dance even though I didn’t know the steps.

As the music slowed and quieted, he drew me closer so that he was once more directly in front of me, though his hand still gripped mine with a quiet gentleness.

I swallowed slightly, briefly glancing away from him and the soft smile on his face, before I managed to speak. 

“I never have really thanked you for diving after me when the floor collapsed,” My voice was soft, and his lips twitched slightly. Almost like he was amused by my words.

“But of course,” He spoke softly as well. Matching my tone in a way that made our words feel like a secret between only the two of us.

Our motions continued to slow until we were simply turning a slow circle and looking at each other even as everyone else kept spiraling, and I shook my head slightly, “No, thank you… Really.”

Something in his gaze softened slightly as he continued to stare at me, and I tilted my head, smiling, “It’s nice that this masquerade could still take place with everything that happened…. The firelotuses and our trip almost getting ruined, I mean.”

I felt his grip on my hand tighten slightly as he inclined his head slightly, almost like he wanted to well and truly keep his next words so that they were just between the two of us. A tender secret not to be shared with anyone else. Be they a close friend or a bodyguard.

“It matters not what collapses. Be it the floor beneath us or even if the world itself should fall down, I will be there for you, Child of man.” I blinked up at him, feeling my eyes widen at his soft words.

At odds with my speechlessness, he smiled. Looking perfectly delighted as he slowly began to speed our motions back up, until we were whirling around the room once more. Center stage as his smile stayed ever-present. It wasn’t long until, even with his words still floating around in my mind, we both started to laugh.

At first, just a chuckle and then soft laughter as we waltzed around, drawing everyone’s gazes as they questioned what sort of secret we shared that so amused us. But it wasn’t truly laughter at something amusing. Rather, it was relieved laughter at the realization that even if everything else in the world fell away, we had one another.

Falling together just as we’d fallen together through the burning flowers, and falling towards each other as each step of our dance pulled us closer towards that beautiful dream known as love.

[forest-hashira]

Noble Blood - Chapter Eleven

ok so life things happened again so i wasn't able to finish this chapter quite as soon as i would have liked, but. considering how long it is i am hoping you'll all have a little bit of mercy on me. i don't know how it got this long, it wasn't supposed to be this long, but i knew i couldn't split it yet again, so. y'know. also i had this song on repeat the whole time i was writing this chapter, if you want the vibes. i don't have much else to say tbh but i hope you enjoy!

fic masterlist | read on ao3 | wc: ~13k | cw: gender neutral reader, yet another festival sorry, reader has A Lot of anxiety this chapter, reader is nude around an adult they are not related to. nothing at all sexual happens but i wanted to give a heads up about it just in case.

Just as your mother had said, the rest of the week really did fly by. Because it was still winter break for school, Satoru and Suguru had nowhere else to be, so the three of you spent every waking moment together – and even some of the sleeping ones. You still slept in Suguru’s bed, wearing Satoru’s clothes every night, while the boys continued to share Satoru’s bed. You’d expected a fight to break out because of it at some point, but it never had. Which was a good thing, of course, but was still surprising.

The only downside to the week going by so fast was that, before you knew it, you had reached the day of the festival, which you had been dreading ever since Gojo-sama had informed you of it. 

That morning, you were woken by a servant entering the room and calling your name, which, of course, woke all three of you. Still rubbing the sleep from your eyes, you stepped out from behind the privacy screen that separated Suguru’s bed from the rest of the room. “Is something wrong?” you asked around a yawn.

“No, nothing’s wrong,” she assured. “But we need to start getting you ready for tonight’s celebration.”

“Can’t that wait until after breakfast?” Satoru groused, scowling at the servant; even after all these years, he still wasn’t a morning person.

“I’m afraid not, Gojo-dono,” the servant replied with an apologetic smile. “Gojo-sama’s orders.”

Satoru’s scowl only deepened, but you cut in before he could argue.

“It’s fine, ‘Toru,” you told him, hoping you sounded as reassuring as you were trying to be. “I’ll catch up with you guys at lunch, okay? Just go back to sleep.”

He hesitated for a moment, still glowering at the servant, but he finally relented when Suguru bumped him lightly with his shoulder. 

“Fine,” the white haired boy grumbled, though his expression softened slightly as he turned his attention to you. “You can throw a tantrum if they start to bother you,” he said, expression completely serious. “Always works for me.”

Suguru rolled his eyes at the other boy’s words, but offered you a small smile. “We’ll catch up with you later,” he promised. 

Oddly reassured by Satoru’s advice and soothed by Suguru’s promise, you nodded, murmuring one last small goodbye before following the servant out of the room, Takara cradled to your chest as always. 

You were led to a part of the house you’d never been to before – the very center of the house, if you had to guess – and were a bit confused when you were ushered into a bathroom, where there was already a tub of steaming water. 

“But I just took a bath last night,” you said, more than a little confused as you turned to face the servant you had been following. 

“Gojo-sama’s instructions were clear,” she said simply, though she did look a bit apologetic. “He said you were to be bathed and thoroughly scrubbed clean before we dressed you for the event.”

You blinked dumbly for a moment at her words before something clicked in your mind. “You mean… I don’t just get to bathe myself? And I don’t get to dress myself after?”

“That’s correct,” she confirmed, without any sort of change in her expression. “It’s how Gojo-dono has always been prepared for events,” she added, as if that made the concept of being scrubbed and dressed by complete strangers any less horrifying. “It’s just how things are done.”

Though the idea made you more than a little uncomfortable, you weren’t confident enough to try and argue, too overwhelmed already by everything that was happening, and you hadn’t even gotten started.

Thankfully, the servant turned her back and allowed you a small amount of privacy as you undressed and climbed into the tub, after setting Takara on top of your clothes; she was still so small, and you didn’t want her to get cold while you were unable to hold her.

Once you were fully seated in the tub, the servant turned and began gathering the soaps and things she would need to bathe you, allowing you to soak in the hot water for a few moments. When she turned to you, though, she gestured for you to tip your head backwards. “Need to wet your hair so I can wash it,” she explained. Hesitantly, you nodded, then did as she asked. The hot water felt good against your scalp, but the woman’s fingers were anything but gentle as they worked the soap into your hair, her nails raking against your scalp somewhat unpleasantly.

Eventually she rinsed the soap from your hair, then rubbed something that looked a lot like lotion into the strands. Whatever it was smelled strongly of herbs, but you found you didn’t mind it very much. When she told you to stand so she could give you a good scrub, you wanted to refuse, to say you were capable of bathing yourself, but you couldn’t bring yourself to argue with her stern expression. So you stood, keeping your eyes squeezed shut as she scrubbed virtually every inch of your body, her movements thorough and efficient, if a bit rougher than you would’ve liked; not having to look at her as she washed you lessened the humiliation you felt, even if only a little.

Once you were deemed satisfactorily clean, the servant sat you back down in the tub and rinsed out whatever it she had put in your hair. Then she ushered you out of the tub, handing you a large, thick towel.

“Dry yourself quickly,” she said, “Then come through that door over there. That’s where we’ll be dressing you and getting you otherwise ready for the event.” As she spoke, she pointed to a door on the other side of the room you hadn’t noticed before – though, granted, you hadn’t been paying much attention. 

You nodded to confirm you understood, then waited until she had left the room to begin drying yourself with the towel. The material was soft, much softer than any other towels your family had ever owned, and that, if nothing else, was a relief. Once you were dried off, you secured the towel around yourself, then turned to Takara, who was sitting up and watching you curiously, head cocked ever so slightly to the right.

“Well,” you told her quietly, attempting a small smile. “Guess we should let them finish getting us ready, hm?” You carefully scooped up the hatchling and the pile of clothes she sat on, not sure if you were meant to leave them behind or not. Crossing the room, you pushed open the door that had been pointed out to you, and your eyes widened at the scene before you.

There were at least three servants in the room, and what seemed to you to be dozens and dozens and dozens of kimonos and coordinating accessories laid out across the multiple vanity tables in the room. Most of them looked like silk, shiny and in a spectrum of more metallic shades. It occurred to you after a moment that they were trying to match your outfit to the color of your dragon as best they could.

Everyone stopped what they were doing when you stepped through the door, turning to look at you with neutral expressions. Until they spotted Takara, at least. When they caught sight of the hatchling, their eyes all flew wide, as if they hadn’t believed she existed until right that moment. Snapping out of whatever trance your dragon seemed to have put them all under, one of the servants, a girl who couldn’t have been more than five or six years older than you, turned to you with a gentle smile.

“Do you have any preference about what colors your accessories are?” she asked kindly. “If we can start narrowing things down now, we can make this as quick for you as possible.”

The question caught you a bit off guard; you hadn’t expected to have any sort of say in the whole process, so you weren’t entirely sure how to even answer the question. “I, uh…” you hesitated, glancing around at everything laid out on the tables to see what your options were. Both fortunately and unfortunately, it seemed there were accessories in every color you could imagine and then some. “I think… could we do green?”

“Of course, there’s plenty of green to work with over there. Is there a specific shade…” the girl trailed off when she saw Takara stirring in your arms, and she gasped softly when the hatchling opened her eyes.

You offered a slightly bashful smile at her reaction, and asked, somewhat redundantly, “Can we try to match her eyes?”

You’d barely gotten a nod in response before the woman who had bathed you came over to you, taking the clothes from your arms and carrying them off to some unknown part of the room, presumably to be taken away and washed. Wordlessly, she ushered you into the center of the room, only stopping once you stood in front of a mirror.

“You’ll have to put her down while we get you dressed,” she told you, with a slight nod towards Takara.

Her words make your heart stop for a moment. She was right, of course, and you knew it, but you desperately did not want to be separated from your only friend in the room, especially since it seemed that getting dressed would not be a quick, simple process. 

“…Where am I supposed to put her?” you asked eventually, still not confident enough to try and defy her, doubly so considering she was just carrying out Gojo-sama’s orders. 

“Over there.” She gestured to the closest vanity table, which had a small section at the end cleared off except for a rather fancy looking cushion. So, after another moment of hesitation, you carried your dragon over to the cushion, carefully setting her down and promising her you weren’t going anywhere.

Once you were back in front of the mirror, the woman circled you slowly, looking you up and down as if trying to imagine exactly how things would fit on you before even attempting to get you into any of the possible outfits – outfits you knew would be far too complicated for you to ever get into or out of on your own. She said nothing when she turned away from you, instead carefully examining all the options laid out. They all looked almost exactly the same to you, but the servant woman clearly had a much more discerning eye than you, and skipped over most of the fabrics without even really considering them.

When she paused in front of one of the outfits, you craned your neck, trying to see which one had caught her attention, but your view was blocked by her torso. She glanced between the clothes and Takara a few times, then picked up the outfit and, still blocking it from your view, walked over to Takara.

“Please don’t touch her!” you blurted, once the woman was standing between you and your dragon. It was the closest thing to an argument you’d made all morning, and you just hoped you wouldn’t be punished for it.

“I won’t,” the woman responded, her voice gentler than you would’ve thought she was capable of. “I just want to make sure the color matches her scales.” As she considered the match, she continued to speak to you. “There are some undergarments on the chair beside the mirror. Do you see them?”

Glancing a little to the left of where you stood, you spotted the chair and the clothes she was talking about. “Yes ma’am.”

“I need you to take your towel off and put them on. You can step behind the mirrors if you would like a bit more privacy.”

“Thank you,” you sighed, the idea of being allowed a small amount of privacy so at the very least nobody else would see you naked giving you such a feeling of relief you worried for a moment that you might start crying. You hurriedly picked up the clothes, stepping into the small space behind the mirrors, which were in the corner of the room, and dropped your towel. The undergarments were nothing special, but wearing actual clothes again made you feel a little less out of your depth during this whole situation.

The servant woman was waiting for you when you stepped out from behind the mirror. “Just place your towel on the chair, if you will,” she instructed. She had the outfit draped over her arm, and though you couldn’t see all of it, you could see that it was the exact same shade of copper as Takara, which you were a little surprised by. You didn’t have long to linger on that realization, though, because as soon as you set your towel down on the chair, you were being guided to your previous spot in front of the mirrors by another servant.

Having multiple people invading your personal space in order to dress you quickly became overwhelming and, not having many other options, you closed your eyes, hoping maybe if you couldn’t see all the people working together to fasten your clothes around you, maybe you wouldn’t feel so overstimulated. Unfortunately, that didn’t help the way you hoped, the feeling of so many hands touching you at the same time too much for you to filter out in an effective way.

The hands touching you retreated after what felt like hours – though you knew logically it couldn’t have been more than just a few minutes – but before you felt brave enough to open  your eyes now that you weren’t being crowded by strangers, a set of hands began to rake some sort of product through your hair, presumably to keep it out of your face. The rough touch was the final straw, everything now too much for you to bear even a second longer.

“Stop it!” you shrieked, shaking your head and pushing away the hands that tried to grab at you. “I said stop it! Right this second! Don’t fucking touch me!” Your voice was shrill, significantly higher pitched than usual, and frantic to the point that you barely recognized it as your own voice. You felt yourself beginning to shake on top of it, but before you broke down in front of the servants, Satoru’s words from earlier echoed in your head.

You can throw a tantrum if they start to bother you. Always works for me.

You couldn’t remember the last time you’d really thrown any sort of fit, but if there was ever a time to really let yourself do such a thing, this was it. 

So you went for it. Leaned into the more theatrical parts of your current mood, keeping your voice loud and upset and contorting your expression into something demanding and angry, rather than distraught as you finally opened your eyes. “All of you get out of here! I don’t want to look at you right now. I want to see my friend.”

“Now listen here, Gojo-sama told us—”

“I don’t care what he said! If you don’t all leave and send Satoru in to see me, I’ll start breaking things.” You weren’t entirely certain where the words came from, but you couldn’t let your surprise show to the servants, or they would almost certainly call your bluff.

The servants all exchanged looks, most of their expressions rather unsure, until eventually the oldest servant gestured for everyone to leave the room. “I’ll make sure Gojo-dono is here as soon as possible to speak with you,” she told you, arching a brow at you the tiniest bit before she followed the others out of the room.

Once they were all gone, you practically deflated, all the fight leaving your body. What you really wanted to do was curl up in a corner and disappear, but you resisted the urge, instead walking over to the cushion Takara still sat on. Gently, you scooped her into your arms again, the simple feeling of her rib cage expanding and contracting with every breath she took serving to calm you a good deal. You weren’t entirely sure how long you stood there holding her when a rushed knock sounded at the door, and you turned in time to see Satoru stepping inside, barely remembering to shut the door behind himself in his hurry to get to you.

“You threatened to break things?” he asked, his eyes wide and a grin tugging at the corners of his lips. “I told you throwing a tantrum would work!”

Though you wanted to join in his enthusiasm, now that Satoru was here in front of you, it was taking every ounce of your self control not to burst into tears. He noticed the way your bottom lip began to tremble, and his expression quickly dropped from excited to concerned. He held his hands up somewhat helplessly between you, apparently unsure what to do to provide you comfort.

“Oh god, uh, please don’t cry. I’m sorry, I was trying to be supportive, I didn’t mean to upset you—”

“Didn’t upset me,” you cut him off, blinking rapidly to try and stave off your tears as you returned Takara to her cushion. “Could I hug you?” you asked, turning back to him. “Or are our clothes too expensive for that?”

Your weak attempt at a joke seemed to go over his head as he pulled you close, expression serious. “Who gives a shit about our clothes?” he asked, arms wrapped tightly around you. Once you’d wrapped your arms around him in return, he began to rock you side to side ever so slightly, thought you weren’t sure he was even doing it on purpose; it was something you’d frequently seen him doing over the years, almost any time he had to stand still for more than a few seconds, though he’d stopped doing it as much as you all got older. The familiarity of the move made you oddly nostalgic, and you lost the battle against your tears.

“Are you okay?” Satoru eventually asked, after your tears had quieted down to sniffles. He didn’t move to release you from the hug, though, which you greatly appreciated. 

“I’ve been better,” you admitted. Separating from him slightly, you wiped the last few straggling tears from your cheeks and looked up at him – when had he gotten tall enough for you to have to look up? you wondered, though you kept the thought to yourself. “How do you do this all the time? Don’t you just want to explode from all the attention?”

He tilted his head slightly as he looked at you, though his gaze was a bit unfocused as he considered your words. “I don’t think I notice all of this as much as you do,” he admitted eventually. “I’ve been putting up with all of this my whole life, so I’m just… used to it, I guess.” A soft sigh escaped him, and he gave a slight shrug. “I know that’s not really helpful, but it’s true. But you wanna know what else is true?”

“What?”

Satoru’s expression brightened a bit as he spoke. “Suguru and I are gonna be right by your side the whole celebration. We’re not gonna let anyone get too close, and if you want, we’ll sic Kenji and Niji on people so they leave us alone.”

You couldn’t help but laugh at his words, sniffling and wiping your eyes once again. Though the promise to cause chaos on your behalf probably should have concerned you, it didn’t; you couldn’t feel anything but relief knowing that your friends would be there to stick up for you. “Thanks, ‘Toru.”

Dropping your hands from your face, it finally occurred to you that Satoru had come to see you all by himself. “Where is Kenji, anyways?” you asked curiously.

“He and Niji are being groomed for the event.”

“Groomed?”

“Yes.”

“How do you even groom a dragon?” You felt your brows furrow as you tried to imagine it; it’s not like dragons had fur that could be brushed, so you were having a bit of trouble imagining what else might be involved.

“I heard someone say something about giving them a bath,” Satoru said. “And then they’ll probably get their fluff trimmed up a bit and have their scales polished.”

“I’m sure Kenji’s thrilled about that,” you laughed, the mental image of the boisterous dragon being wrangled into a bathtub being exceptionally amusing to you.

This time Satoru laughed with you. “I’m sure I’ll have to spend days making it up to him with treats.” 

His words had you laughing again, though you were quickly cut off by the sound of your stomach growling, and embarrassment washed over you. “Sorry,” you apologized.

Satoru just frowned. “Did they not give you anything to eat?”

You shook your head. “No, they didn’t. I’m really hungry right now, though.”

He nodded slightly, then turned and walked over to the door. He poked his head out, having a brief conversation with someone that you could neither hear nor see, then closed the door and returned to your side. 

“Someone’s going to bring you something to eat,” he said simply.

“You didn’t have to do that, Satoru.”

He tilted his head slightly as he looked at you for a moment. “I’m not gonna let you starve all day just because my dad didn’t think about the fact that you need to eat.”

You found his words oddly endearing, with how much they showed he clearly cared about you, and you thanked him quietly. Not much else was said for a few moments, and then there was a soft knock on the door. The boy was quick to answer it, accepting a tray from whoever had knocked before turning away.

When you saw what was on the tray, your mouth started watering. There was a whole breakfast spread available to you – rice, miso soup, eggs, fruit – fresh tea, and even a few little chocolates on the side. Your stomach growled again, but this time you felt much less embarrassed about it. You waited until Satoru had set down the tray before launching yourself at the food, picking up the bowl of soup and bringing it to your lips, not even bothering with the spoon as you gulped down the broth. You only stopped when you heard your friend laugh softly.

“Sorry,” he apologized with a shake of his head. “Not trying to make fun of you or anything, I’ve just never seen you go at a meal like that before.”

“I haven’t eaten all day,” you reminded him, swallowing your mouthful and wiping away a stray drop of broth from your chin before it could touch your clothes. It wasn’t that late in the day, all things considered, but that didn’t change how hungry you really were. Knowing that eating too fast would only make you sick, you slowed down as you ate the rest of your food, occasionally offering small bites to Takara, who accepted exactly one bite of egg before refusing everything else.

As you ate, you and Satoru talked a bit more, not really discussing much of anything at all, but the conversation being a welcome distraction to what had overwhelmed you in the first place. Once you finally finished, you realized you felt much better about everything – or at the very least, you weren’t dreading what was to come as much. With a soft sigh, you glanced back over at the door; all the servants had left you alone, just as you’d asked – or demanded, rather – but you couldn’t imagine they’d gone very far from the room. “I should really let them finish getting me ready,” you said, if somewhat reluctantly. “I don’t want your father getting mad because I’m not cooperating.”

“Fuck my dad,” Satoru said. “Who cares what he thinks?”

You felt as if your eyes were going to pop out of your skull from the shock of hearing your friend say those words. “Satoru!” you exclaimed, looking around to make sure nobody else had heard him.

“What? It’s true!” he insisted, trying incredibly hard to hide his grin. “You’re the most important person in the settlement now – maybe even the whole world. Why do you care what my dad thinks anymore?”

Heat quickly spread across your face at his words. Your real answer of because he’s a grown up seemed a little silly when you thought about it the way Satoru had phrased it, so you just shrugged. Then, remembering his mother’s words from earlier that week, you replied, “Everyone is important, Satoru. Remember? And nobody is more important than anyone else.”

Now it was Satoru’s turn to get a little embarrassed, his face going red almost to the tips of his ears. You couldn’t help but notice how it made his eyes look even more blue than usual, though that thought had your own face burning even more. “Why do you always have to be right about stuff?” he groaned, burying his bright red face in his hands. He’d always been one for dramatics.

“‘Cause I know a lot of smart people.”

He peeked through his fingers at you. “Am I one of those smart people?”

“Hmm… Well, sometimes. Maybe,” you hummed, then giggled as he scowled at your teasing.

“Whatever,” he grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest. As usual, he wasn’t very good at hiding his true feelings, and you could see that he was barely suppressing a smile as he looked over at you. “I’ll see you again in a bit, okay?” He took your hand as he spoke, though whether the move was intentional or not, you weren’t entirely sure.

“‘Kay,” you agreed softly. “Bye, Satoru.”

He gave your hand a gentle squeeze, then turned and made his way out of the room, back to wherever he’d been before you’d demanded to see him. Shortly afterwards, the servants came filing back into the room, though they looked more wary of you than they had before they’d left.

“Feeling any better?” the head servant woman asked, arching a brow at you.

“Yes,” you said, then added sheepishly, “and I apologize for my outburst earlier. I shouldn’t have screamed at all of you.”

The servants blinked at your words, exchanging looks of surprise; apparently they weren’t used to getting apologies for such behavior.

“All is forgiven,” the head servant assured you, her expression seeming to soften a bit as she looked down at you. “It’s a lot to process if you’re not used to it. We are nearly finished, though. I only need to take care of your hair while the other girls get your accessories sorted, and then we’ll be done.”

Her explanation helped you feel a bit more at ease, and you nodded, easily allowing yourself to be led back in front of the mirror. As the head servant woman went back to taking care of your hair – running her fingers through it and using some sort of product to keep it back and out of your face – the two other servants went through the green accessories that had been brought into the room, comparing them to Takara’s eyes, trying to find the ones that matched the best. Most of the items didn’t make the cut, but eventually they turned to you with a few things: a small sash belt – more for decorative purposes than to actually hold your outfit in place – and two bracelets that looked like they were strung with real emeralds, though you didn’t dare to ask; you didn’t want to know how much money was sitting around your wrists.

While one of the women fastened the belt around your waist, the other clasped the bracelets around your wrists, making sure they were tight enough not to slip off, but not so tight that they were uncomfortable. The head servant woman tilted your head up gently, making sure you were looking straight forward before she fasted a hairpiece in place. It looked like a cross between a crown and a headband, thin strands of gold, silver, and bronze woven together in a circlet, the metal so finely polished it glinted even when it wasn’t in direct light. It sat atop your head in such a way that it kept your hair from falling into your eyes, and though they weren’t visible, you watched as several pins were put in your hair to keep the headpiece in place.

You stepped a bit closer to the mirrors, examining your reflection with wide eyes. You’d been utterly transformed with just a bit of work from the servant woman, without any of them even putting any sort of makeup or anything on your face. For the first time in your life, you looked… regal; you looked like you belonged with people like Satoru’s family. The kimono you wore looked like liquid copper pouring over you, the fabric weightless on you and lending an almost inhuman fluidity to every one of your movements; it was far and away the most luxurious thing you’d ever had the privilege of wearing, and though part of your mind was fretting over not messing the outfit up, you were mostly just in awe of how you looked.

The servants allowed you a few moments to look over yourself in the mirror, then called you back so they could help you into your shoes; a pair of waraji sandals, though these ones were made with a sturdy wooden sole and brown leather straps, rather than the ones made of rope fiber that you saw many other people in the settlement wearing from day to day. Despite being made from wood, you found the shoes surprisingly comfortable. You weren’t sure how long the celebration event was going to last, but at the very least you wouldn’t be stuck in uncomfortable shoes the whole time. 

After a moment of consideration, the head servant woman turned to one of the vanities and picked up a few small tins of what you could only assume was makeup, and you couldn’t help but feel disappointed; you’d hope you’d be able to avoid that. When she explained to you that all she was putting on you was a bit of tint to your brows and lashes, and a tiny bit of blush to your cheeks, you relaxed again; at least you wouldn’t have to wear anything on your lips.

“All finished,” she said after a few moments, offering you what you were surprised to see was a small smile. “Now that you’re ready, I’ll take you to meet with the others. You may bring the cushion for your dragon, if you wish.”

You nodded at her words, scooping Takara up into your arms and, after a brief moment of hesitation, you grabbed the pillow, as well, tucking it under your arm as you hurried out of the room.

Though your nerves had settled a good deal after getting to see Satoru, they began to eat at you again, your anxiety gnawing at your stomach, squeezing your throat and quickening your pulse. The nearer you drew to the front doors of the house, the worse you felt, every step somehow making the hallway smaller and smaller around you. Each breath you took felt more difficult, not quite able to pull enough air into your lungs anymore. Faintly, you heard someone call your name, and though the voice was familiar, you couldn’t quite pinpoint who it was until they stood in front of you.

“Are you alright?” Suguru asked, his voice gentle and his face concerned. You blinked a few times as you looked up at him, though he said nothing else as he waited patiently for a response from you. 

“I…” you began lamely, then let out a sharp breath before trying again. “I’m a bit overwhelmed, I guess…” The unintentional confession slipped a bit too easily from your lips for your liking, but there was no taking the words back once they were out.

Suguru’s expression only softened at your words, and he offered you a small smile. “That’s understandable,” he assured you. “There’s a lot happening today. I think I’d be a little concerned if you weren’t overwhelmed. But it’s alright, we’re here with you.” He turned and looked over his shoulder then, and you followed his gaze to where Satoru stood with his parents, Kenji pacing beside him while Niji sat obediently beside where Suguru had been standing just a moment before. 

The sight of your best friend eased your fears even more, and it felt a bit easier to breathe when he smiled at you. You noticed then that his starlight hair had been slicked back from his face, but you already knew that he would be running his fingers through it to get it back to its usual fluffy state.

“Come on,” Suguru urged, pulling you from your thoughts. “The celebration is starting soon, we can’t have the guest of honor arrive late.” The faint hint of teasing that ran through his words got a smile out of you, and you followed him over to the rest of the group. For a brief moment, you worried that you would be expected to lead the way to the city center, but much to your relief, Gojo-sama informed you that you’d be taking up the rear, with Kenji and Niji on either side of you. Though you would have preferred to walk between your friends, rather than behind them, you said nothing, not wanting to risk invoking Gojo-sama’s anger right before you were presented to everyone in the settlement.

Before you could all turn to leave, though, Gojo-hime’s soft voice called out from down the hall. She walked quickly until she reached the group, smiling as she knelt down in front of you. “I’m glad I caught you before you left,” she said, taking you in for a moment. “You look lovely in these colors,” she added, fingers trailing down one of your sleeves lightly before meeting your eyes again. “I just wanted to come and say I know you’re going to be wonderful tonight. Being the center of attention can be scary, but you can do it.”

Her words had tears burning your eyes, and you blinked rapidly to try and keep them from falling. “Thank you, Gojo-hime,” you whispered, clearing your throat softly and looking away afterwards.

“You’re welcome, sweetheart.” She pushed herself up from the floor then, standing slowly as she turned to your friends. “Satoru,” she murmured fondly, then pressed a kiss to his forehead. “Can you promise you’ll behave this time?”

“I’ll try,” Satoru promised, his voice a little quieter than usual, and you weren’t surprised when you glanced at his face again and saw him blushing all the way to the tips of his ears.

That drew a soft laugh from the woman, and she brushed her knuckles lightly across his cheek. “I appreciate that,” she murmured, then turned her attention to your other friend. “Will you help keep him in line, Suguru?”

It was the raven haired boy’s turn to blush then, and he nodded. “Of course, Gojo-hime.”

“Thank you,” she sighed, seeming genuinely a bit relieved by the words. “All three of you try to have some fun together, alright? I’ll see you all later.” With that, she nodded to her husband and bid the rest of you farewell before making her way back down the hall. She hadn’t said why she wouldn’t be joining you for the celebration, but the way she pressed her fingers to her temples as she walked told you more than enough.

Not wanting to waste any more time, Gojo-sama turned and resumed his path to the front doors, pushing them open with a flourish and making his way down the walkway that led out of the estate and eventually right into the city, leaving you and the boys to scramble to catch up with him. Soon enough, though, you all fell into step behind him, four sets of wooden shoes clicking against the stones of the path nearly in sync; you were the shortest of the group, so you couldn’t quite match the rhythm of their steps without falling behind.

Your procession was slow, and while you were sure it was because Gojo-sama didn’t want to arrive at the celebration with even a single hair out of place, the longer it took to arrive and get the evening over with, the more anxious you became. In an effort to keep your mind occupied with something – anything – else, you focused on your friends, taking in their appearances for the first time since you’d reunited with them.

Satoru was wearing a white kimono, secured around the waist with a blue belt. It was simple, but paired with his hair and his eyes, it was striking. When he turned his head to steal a quick glimpse at you, he looked almost ethereal, despite the boyishness that still softened his features. Your eyes flitted away almost as soon as they met his, but you still noticed the way the corner of his lips turned up slightly as he turned away once again.

Apparently curious by what had caught Satoru’s attention – or possibly concerned about your current emotional state, or some combination of the two, you weren’t entirely sure which – Suguru glanced over his shoulder at you, as well. His features were still a bit soft with youth, but they’d always seemed more sophisticated to you, almost regal; he may not have been born with any noble blood in his family, but you wouldn’t know that just from looking at him. Dodging his gaze, too, you dropped your eyes, focusing instead on his outfit. The kimono he wore was black, though you noticed the tiniest hint of purple woven into the fabric when it caught the light just right; it seemed to form some sort of pattern, but you couldn’t quite make it out. The belt secured around his waist was yellow, and while out of context it was not a color you would have liked, knowing that it matched the shade of Niji’s eyes made it a bit more appealing.

Just then it occurred to you that all of you were dressed to match your dragons. You craned your neck to try and better see the colors Gojo-sama was wearing, but a large robe hid his outfit from your view. Maybe it’s just the three of us, you thought, once you’d given up on trying to see what Satoru’s father was wearing. Since Satoru and Suguru are the only ones with solid color dragons, and I’m the only one with a metallic dragon. Maybe we’re supposed to stand out more from everyone else. 

You continued to walk in silence behind everyone else for a few moments, when you suddenly realized something else: even if Gojo-sama was dressed to match his dragon, you wouldn’t have been able to tell; as far as you could remember, you’d never seen his dragon with him. The urge to tap Satoru on the shoulder and ask where his father’s dragon was was nearly overwhelming, but it lost to your common sense and your desire to avoid enraging the older man, especially before you were to be paraded around in front of everyone in the settlement. The curiosity still gnawed at you, though, and you resolved to ask your best friend about it later, when Gojo-sama was no longer in earshot.

Despite the slow pace, it wasn’t long until the sounds of music and people talking and laughing began to filter up from the city square. The sound was not unpleasant, but it made your situation really set in: you were about to be present to everyone who lived in the settlement. They were all going to stare at you, a lot of them were going to want to talk to you, and some of them might even try to touch Takara. Those thoughts spun around in your head, chasing each other in circles like Kenji and Niji often chased each other, and with every passing second you felt more and more consumed by the anxiety those thoughts filled you with. You were so caught up in those thoughts, in fact, that you didn’t even realize your friends had stopped walking until you ran into them.

Takara let out a squawk as she was briefly squished into your chest, the noise somewhere between offended and startled. You managed to hold her steady in your arms, though the pillow you’d been carrying slipped from beneath your arm. Suguru was quick to reach out and catch it before it could hit the ground, and for that you were thankful.

“Woah, hey, are you alright?” Satoru asked, placing a hand on your arm. His brows were furrowed with worry, and a frown tugged the corners of his lips down a bit. It wasn’t an expression you particularly liked on him, especially when you were the reason for it, but there was something reassuring about it in that moment; knowing he cared about you enough to feel such concern.

“I-I… uh…” you stammered, staring blankly up at him. The inside of your head was still so loud, so busy, that it drowned out your ability to do anything else. “I’m…”

You heard Suguru call your name, and you turned your head enough to look up at him, rather than Satoru. His expression was equally pinched, and you found that you didn’t like that, either; you hated knowing you were the cause of such worry for them, your two best friends in the world. “It’s okay,” he promised. “You’ll be okay. Can you take a deep breath?”

You tried to do as he asked, breathing in slowly, the air entering your lungs in a stutter, catching in your throat for reasons you didn’t understand. You were quick to exhale, much quicker than you had inhaled, and for some reason the act felt out of your control.

“Good, that was good,” Suguru encouraged, a small smile on his lip now, rather than a frown. “Can you try again? I’ll do it with you.” He waited until you nodded, then took a slow, deep breath in, held it for a few seconds, then slowly breathed out again. Matching him was still a bit tricky, but you managed well enough that you once again felt in control of your body.

“Feel better?” Satoru asked, once you seemed less tense and were breathing more steadily. He squeezed your arm lightly in reassurance, and you turned your attention back to him.

“A little,” you agreed. There were still nerves and a sense of unease lingering in the back of your mind, but they weren’t going anywhere any time soon, so you knew you’d just have to push through them for the evening. 

Satoru’s expression softened at your words, but before he could say anything further, his father turned around to see what had stopped the three of you in your tracks.

“Stop standing around,” Gojo-sama hissed, frowning deeply as he looked the three of you over. “We’re nearly there, now is not the time to drag your feet or start causing problems.”

“Apologies, Gojo-sama,” Suguru replied, bowing to the man as he spoke. “I just wanted to make sure they were feeling alright before we were in front of everyone.”

“Nonsense, they’re fine,” the man replied quickly, not even glancing at you; if he had, he would have seen that you were decidedly not fine, but you doubted he cared about that at all. “Now hurry up, I won’t have you embarrassing me or our family.”

“You shouldn’t speak so unkindly to them,” Satoru was quick to snap back, leveling his father with a harsh look.

Clearly taken aback by his son’s attitude, Gojo-sama simply stared at him for a moment. “What did you just say to me?”

“I said, you shouldn’t speak so unkindly to them,” Satoru repeated, an edge to his voice that hadn’t been there a moment before. “You’re being quite rude.”

“You would do well to remember your place, Satoru,” Gojo-sama warned, something almost cruel glinting in his cold blue eyes.

“And you would do well to remember yours. There’s a metallic dragon rider in your presence. Soon enough you won’t be the top authority in the settlement anymore.”

A chill ran down your spine at your friend’s words, and you exchanged a nervous glance with Suguru. Swallowing around the lump in your throat, you forced yourself to speak, to intervene before the confrontation devolved into something even less pleasant. “Satoru, Gojo-sama,” you said, silently thanking whatever deity might be listening that your voice didn’t shake. “We have a celebration to get to. I don’t want to disappoint the people, and I would hate for all the hard work to make the celebration happen on such short notice go to waste. We should go.” 

Though your words rang with conviction, you couldn’t have believed them any less. You didn’t care if you left everyone in the settlement hanging, and you didn’t really care if Gojo-sama spent more money than you could ever dream of having on a celebration that didn’t accomplish what it was meant to. All you cared about was being with your friends, and with finally being able to go home with your parents when this was all over. It didn’t matter to you that those were selfish concerns and desires, and it didn’t matter that being selfish like that was childish; you were still a child, after all. Regardless of your actual feelings, though, you hoped that your words would be enough to convince at least Gojo-sama to be practical and follow the plan for the evening, rather than lay into his only son to put him in his place.

The Gojo clan patriarch narrowed his eyes at his son for a long moment, as if silently debating the merit of beating the attitude out of his child right then and there, before he straightened up once again. “You’re right,” he agreed, sparing you only a fleeting glance before turning his back to the three of you once again. “We have an event to attend and appearances to uphold. Everyone back in line.”

You heard Satoru muttering under his breath as he followed his father’s orders, getting back into his place in the procession, his back to you and Suguru to his right. The raven haired boy offered you one last comforting smile and passed Takara’s cushion back to you, then returned to his place, as well. Kenji and Niji, who had remained uncharacteristically motionless on either side of you this whole time, chuffed quietly at each other, then bumped your sides lightly with their heads. With that, all of you were off once again, the city square growing closer with every step.

In an effort to keep your mind occupied and prevent another spiral like before, you looked down at your hatchling, now settled on her cushion, rather than cradled against your chest. Nobody had said anything to you about the way you’d been carrying her, but it had seemed obvious to you that it would look better – and certainly more dramatic – if you arrived with Takara in full view of the people in the settlement, rather than having her lost in the folds of your kimono. 

For once, your dragon was fully awake and alert, sitting oh so perfectly in the middle of the cushion and looking around at everything around her, though she still ignored Kenji and Niji; you were starting to think she was doing it on purpose. After a moment, she tilted her head back to look up at you, her emerald eyes wide and twinkling in the dimming light. Whether she knew how important she was, or how big of a deal was about to be made of her existence was unclear to you, but you could tell she did know that whatever was happening was important, not something to be slept through. She chirped at you quietly, as if to tell you everything would be okay, and stared for a few moments longer before turning her gaze forward again.

You followed her lead, though when you lifted your head to look in front of you, you were more than a little shocked to realize you were right outside the city square. The music had stopped, and everyone had gone silent, watching your procession and parting to make way for Gojo-sama. Your nerves began to creep in again, tightening your throat and chest and amplifying every little noise around you. You forced yourself to keep your eyes straight ahead, rather than darting around at the crowd in some futile attempt to spot a familiar, comforting face, and you found that that helped curb your anxiety. 

At first, the only sounds that filled the air were your procession’s wooden shoes on the stone of the square and the soft tinkling sounds of the glass windchimes as a breeze passed through. You weren’t sure if you were thankful for the silence or unsettled by it, but once people noticed Takara, you wanted the silence back.

It wasn’t hard to figure out when your hatchling was spotted by people; whispers swept through the crowd like a river, everyone’s voices hushed, and yet still it nearly made your ears ring to hear so many people talking all at once, especially since it was you they were speaking about. You couldn’t make out any particular words, but you knew what they were all wondering: why here, why now, why you, of all people? Things had been peaceful for your entire life, and as far as anyone else was aware, there were no looming threats on the horizon, no reason for there to be a metallic dragon showing up so suddenly, much less bonding with a commoner like you when there were plenty of other children about your age from more important and respected families than yours.

Everyone is important in their own way, Gojo-hime’s words rang in your head. Everyone is equally important. None of us can do what we do without each other.

The reminder washed over you, clearing your mind of anxieties almost entirely; it didn’t matter if anyone else didn’t think you were important enough to be a metallic dragon’s rider, because they weren’t any more important than you were. And even if there was anyone that was more important than you, that didn’t matter, either. Takara was your dragon, and you were her rider, and there was nothing that could be done to change that, regardless of what anyone in any position of authority might have wanted.

Though it felt like an eternity had passed since you first stepped into the square, you eventually ascended the steps of the platform in the middle of the square. Satoru and Suguru stepped off to the side, Gojo-sama standing directly behind them. Knowing what was expected of you but nowhere near happy about it, you stepped forward until you stood in front of them, then turned to face the crowd. This time, you weren’t able to keep yourself from searching the crowd for someone – anyone – you recognized, whose face would hopefully bring you some level of comfort. Just before Gojo-sama began to speak, you spotted your parents, nearly as close to the platform as they could get. They both smiled at you, relief at being able to see you again written plainly across their faces. That same relief nearly overwhelmed you, and you had to blink rapidly to avoid bursting into tears right then and there; it would displease Satoru’s father, and you didn’t want the small amount of makeup the servants had put on you to run down your face.

“Friends and neighbors!” Gojo-sama called out. Despite the fact that your back was to him, you knew he was wearing a fake, if somewhat smug, smile as he spoke. “I apologize for not telling any of you what this celebration is for before this, but I didn’t want to spoil the surprise! As you can all see, our settlement has once again been blessed with the presence of a metallic dragon. A metallic dragon has not been seen anywhere in the world since the last one was born here and bonded with one of my ancestors, over three hundred years ago.”

You felt the way his eyes landed on you before speaking again. “The dragon may not have bonded with someone born into the Gojo clan this time, but I assure you that my family will be taking a special interest in the care, training, and education of both the dragon and her rider. Whatever the reason for this dragon’s arrival, we will be well prepared.” Another hushed murmur rippled through the crowd, but Gojo-sama was quick to keep it from growing into complete unrest. “For now, though, let us celebrate! We are blessed to be in the presence of such a creature.”

The murmur quickly roared into a cheer, and the music was quick to begin playing again, loud and cheerful, a perfect fit for a celebration such as this one. Unsure of what you were or were not allowed to do, now that the announcement about Takara had been made, you glanced over your shoulder at Satoru, trying to catch his eye. When that failed, you turned the other direction in an attempt to catch Suguru’s eye, instead.

He didn’t look your way at first, but when he did, he offered you a small smile and a nod; even without words, his assurance did wonders for the anxieties that still plagued your mind. As best as you could, you glanced behind Suguru to Gojo-sama, then back to Suguru. You wanted to know if you were allowed to move, to leave the platform and enjoy the festivities that were happening, but you didn’t dare to turn around and ask.

Apparently catching your silent question, Suguru nodded again, then turned to Satoru and bumped him a bit. You turned back to face forward, then, not wanting it to be obvious that you were the one with the question to begin with. As you heard the boys shuffling a bit behind your back, you looked down at Takara; she still seemed more alert than usual, but far less interested in her surroundings than when you’d first stepped into the city square.

“Father,” came Satoru’s voice. “We’re going to find our friends and grab something to eat. We’ll be back.” The fact that he didn’t phrase it like a question, and didn’t ask if you could go with him and Suguru both thrilled and terrified you, especially since he had already butted heads so intensely on the way to the festival.

“The two of you may go,” Gojo-sama replied easily, “but be quick about it. They must stay here, however.”

Instantly, tears filled your eyes, and your shoulders sagged, the sadness from not being allowed to even try to find your friends much heavier than you could have anticipated. All of this had been planned and was happening in honor of you and your dragon, and you weren’t even allowed to participate. It was a crushing feeling to experience.

“Why?” Satoru snapped, the edge from before sharpening his voice once again. “This festival is for them, is it not?”

“They are the reason for the celebration, yes. That means they need to be visible to people, to remind them and inspire them. So your friend must remain here.” Somehow the Gojo patriarch maintained his cool, but you knew he couldn’t possibly be so relaxed about the attitude his son was giving him.

“Wouldn’t they be more visible and inspiring if they were allowed to walk around, to talk to people? Don’t you think people would be better reminded of the reason for all this if they got to see Takara a little closer?” You couldn’t remember the last time you’d heard your friend this worked up, but it made your stomach flip to know he was so willing to defend you against anything he perceived as unfair.

There was a long, tense silence, and you were pretty sure you stopped breathing, the urge not to draw any further attention to yourself winning out against everything else, if only for a few moments.

“…Very well,” Gojo-sama eventually conceded, though he still sounded a bit irked. “Don’t be gone too long, though. The dancing will begin as soon as the sun goes down.”

“Thank you, Gojo-sama,” you heard Suguru say, then felt a hand at your back, gently guiding you back towards the steps of the platform. “Come on,” he encouraged quietly. “I doubt he’ll change his mind, but I don’t want to take any chances.”

You didn’t argue, not wanting to risk being called back to stand in front of everyone like a statue simply because Gojo-sama changed his mind. Chancing a glance over at Satoru as you all hurried down the steps and into the crowd, you saw his face was flushed with anger, his brows pinched together hard in the middle of his forehead; he was even more upset than you realized.

“‘Toru?” you called softly, trying to get his attention and hopefully pull him out of his negative thoughts. “What’s wrong?”

“Nobody should get to take youth away from young people,” he replied. His tone had softened a bit, now that he was talking to you and not his father, but he didn’t seem any less upset. “Nobody, no matter what power they hold, should be allowed to do that. We’re still just kids, why the fuck can’t we act like it?”

Though you had heard your friend swear before, it still caught you off guard a bit when he did; you weren’t sure if it was because he swore rather infrequently, or because you were all still “too young” to be using language like that – according to the adults in your lines, anyways – or if it was something else entirely, but you supposed it didn’t really matter all that much, since your reaction was still the same every time. 

“What do you mean?” you asked tentatively.

A long sigh escaped him then, both frustrated and weary. “My father,” he said after a moment, running his fingers through his hair to get it back to its fluff, perfectly messy state; the slicked back style had lasted longer than you expected, but you were glad he was undoing it now. “Expecting you to just… stand there like a decoration, or something, and not letting you even say hi to your friends or even get a snack, or anything like that. Not wanting to let you still be a kid, even though we’re not even teenagers yet. It’s stupid, and it’s not fair. I can’t let him do that, especially not to you, or us.”

A brief pause, then Suguru spoke. “You really shouldn’t use language like that, Satoru. It’s not polite.”

Satoru scowled at his friend, but he pointedly did not acknowledge his words. “What do you guys want to eat, anyway? I’m starving, and we need to eat something before we have to dance.”

“Dance?” you asked, pausing long enough to lift Takara from the pillow and drape her across the back of your neck so you wouldn’t have to worry about dropping her. The words really hit you just a few seconds later, and you remembered that Gojo-sama had said something about dancing, too, before you’d all hurried off. “What dance? What are you talking about?”

“It’s a traditional dance,” Satoru explained, looking around at the various food stalls as he walked, trying to find something he wanted. “When the sun goes down, they’ll light a bonfire, and a few of us will do a very fancy looking, very annoying dance until we’re almost sweating through our clothes, and then we’ll all go home because we’ll be too tired to participate in the festivities anymore.”

“…will I have to dance?” you asked after a moment, glancing over at Suguru somewhat nervously. Nobody had even mentioned a dance to you, much less bothered to teach it to you, but you couldn’t imagine that you would be allowed to abstain from the activity. 

Satoru paused then, turning back to face you, confusion plastered on his features. “Nobody said anything to you?”

You shook your head, swallowing thickly. Before you could get too caught up in your thoughts again, though, Suguru carefully took your free hand in his own, giving it a light squeeze.

“It’ll be okay,” he promised. “You probably will have to dance, but Satoru and I will guide you through it.”

“It’s not hard,” Satoru added, and you could tell he was trying to hide his annoyance, but he wasn’t all that good at it.

“But you just said—”

“I said it looks fancy,” he interjected, his expression truly softening now. “But it’s not hard, I promise. If it was hard, I would tell you. Have I ever lied to you before?”

“No,” you conceded, then let out a shaking breath. He really hadn’t ever lied to you, and you couldn’t imagine that he would start now, not when it would lead to public humiliation for you. 

“Exactly. Now, come on. We really do need to eat something before we have to dance until our legs fall off.”

Ignoring all the festival attendees was easier than you expected, as you allowed yourself to be led to various food stalls. Kenji and Niji walked far enough away from the three of you to create a bit of a bubble, and nobody was able to get close enough to make you uncomfortable, which was a big relief. Though you’d originally said you didn’t have much of an appetite because of nerves, both boys insisted you needed to eat so you didn’t collapse during the dance. You decided to humor them, and once you started eating you realized you were famished, and you distantly realized it was probably because the only thing you’d had to eat that day was the snack Satoru had managed to get for you when he came to see you after you’d thrown a fit.

Before you knew it, you’d devoured a taiyaki with red bean filling, four takoyaki so hot you’d burned the roof of your mouth, and an onigiri with curry in the middle. After that, Suguru convinced you to take a break and get something to drink. “We really don’t want you getting sick,” he’d explained when you tried to argue. 

Just as you finished the tea that Satoru had gotten you, you noticed the lanterns being lit around the edges of the square, and your heart sank; it was almost time for you to perform a dance with your boys – a dance that you had never learned, at that – in front of the entire settlement, and you hadn’t so much as glimpsed any of your other friends.

“We should go,” Suguru said softly, taking your hand once again and leading you back towards the platform. Satoru quickly reached your other side, taking your other hand – you’d misplaced Takara’s cushion at some point, and though you were sure Gojo-sama would be less than pleased about that, you couldn’t find it in yourself to care at that moment. You allowed your friends to lead you back to the platform without any sort of fuss, not having the energy to fight anything, even if you had wanted to fight them in the first place. When the three of you reached the platform steps, Satoru and Suguru released your hands, both of them turning to face you.

“Are you ready?” Suguru asked gently, tilting his head slightly. You knew he meant well and was just trying to check in on you, but the wording of his question felt a little silly; no, you weren't ready, and you never would be, but what choice did you have? You said none of that, though, giving a slight nod instead. 

“As I’ll ever be, I guess,” you sighed, offering him your best smile in return, though you doubted it was very convincing. 

“You’re gonna want to put Takara down for this,” Satoru said, and you felt a small, sharp jolt of panic, that you realized afterwards wasn’t entirely your own; maybe your bond with Takara was going to take longer to get used to than you thought.

“Why?” you asked, a frown tugging at the corners of  your lips.

“There’s a lot of twirling and spinning. I don’t want her to fall, or to claw up your neck trying to hold on,” he explained, his expression nearly as soft as his snowy hair, and you felt your worry melt away nearly as quickly as it had hit you.

“Oh, okay. Uh…” you looked around for a moment, trying to figure out where to set your hatchling down; you were regretting misplacing the cushion now. “Where should I put her?”

“I’ll hold her for you, baby,” your mother said, and you turned to face her with wide eyes.

“Mom,” you sighed, breaking out into a grin before you could help it. You nearly threw yourself at her, and a small, shaky breath escaped you as she held you close. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” she replied, pressing a gentle kiss to your forehead before pulling away. “I’ll take good care of her, I promise. And when this is all over, your father and I are going to take you home, okay?”

You nodded again, almost feeling as if you were going to cry again. You managed not to, though, and carefully lifted Takara from her place under the neck of your kimono. She chittered softly at you, but she quieted down quickly once she was in your mother’s arms.

Once you were sure Takara was taken care of, you turned back to your friends. “How does the dance go?” you asked, hoping your nerves didn’t bleed into your words too badly. You trusted Satoru when he told you the dance wasn’t hard, but you were still worried about making a fool of yourself in front of everyone.

“It’s hard to explain,” Satoru replied, his head cocked slightly to the side; he looked like he was trying to think of a way to explain the dance to you, though unfortunately he seemed to be coming up dry.

“Satoru and I will go first,” Suguru said, stepping in while his friend seemed to struggle. “Just watch us for a bit, and one of us will bring you in when it’s a good time, okay?” His usual gentle smile softened his face as he spoke, and, just as it always did, it put you at ease.

“Okay,” you agreed, managing to offer a small smile back. 

Both boys nodded at you, then commanded their dragons to stay back as the two of them stepped into the space that had been cleared in front of the platform where fuel for a bonfire had been built up. Your friends stood next to each other on the side closest to you, and you watched as a few other people stepped out of the crowd to stand around the bonfire. You thought you recognized most of them as members of other well to do families from the settlement, though you didn’t know their names. They seemed to be about your age for the most part, a few of them maybe a year or two older, but it quickly became apparent that no adults would be involved in this dance. 

A hush settled over the crowd as Gojo-sama approached the pile of wood, a lit torch in his hand. He looked slowly around the square for a moment, expression unreadable, then said in a booming voice, “Now it is time for the new generation to honor those that have come before, and perform the traditional dance to welcome a metallic dragon.” He tossed the torch into the woodpile, the dry branches roaring to life almost instantly. The roar of the fire and the cheering of the crowd drowned out any other words the man might have spoken, so he simply gestured for the musicians to begin playing again before he stepped back onto the platform.

As the music began – a very different song than before, this one sounding old and promising and full of magic – Satoru and Suguru turned away from the fire to face each other, each of them offering the other a slight bow before they really began to dance. Their movements were elegant, nimble, and seemingly effortless, not a single breath out of place as they moved, spinning and winding and stepping away from each other before coming right back. You noticed quickly that it was really only a few movements repeated in about three different patterns, and for that you were thankful; at least once you got used to the movements things would go smoothly. Distantly, you realized that all the other dancers around the bonfire must have been dancing the same way, but you didn’t care about them, not when you couldn’t take your eyes off of your friends and the way they moved together as if they were born to do this dance together. Watching them dance was like watching Kenji and Niji fight; fluid, coordinated movements without needing to communicate, black and white in a natural push and pull that was nearly impossible to look away from.

It was unclear to you exactly how much time had passed since the dance had begun, your focus more on watching the boys and trying to get a sense of the dance you would soon be pulled into, but soon enough they split apart; Suguru turned to dance with one of the girls from the other families, and Satoru turned to you and held out his hand. Heart hammering in your chest, you were quick to take it, not wanting to cause a disruption in the flow of the dance. You stared up at Satoru with wide eyes then, the crackling of the fire louder now that you were up close with it.

Your best friend looked down at you with a smile, releasing your hand and taking a half step back. “You’ve got this,” he assured you, then offered you the same small bow he’d offered Suguru before. You managed to return it, then jumped into the dance itself. You’d never been the most graceful person, but you felt especially clumsy trying to do the dance with no practice. Though you knew it wouldn’t do your balance any favors, you kept looking down at your feet, trying to make sure you had all the steps right. A set of waraji sandals entered your view – wooden-soled just like yours, but with white leather straps rather than brown – and a familiar voice called your name.

“Don’t look down,” Satoru encouraged, and when you lifted your head, you saw he was still smiling at you. “Look at me. It’s just us right now, yeah? It’s just you and me. You can do this.” He spoke with such conviction that you couldn’t help but believe him, and you nodded, smiling back at him.

“I can do this,” you agreed. The steps came easier to you after that, and you kept your eyes locked on your best friend as you danced, spinning and winding around him just as Suguru had, though your moves were a bit less polished.

Just when you felt you were really getting into the rhythm of the music and finding your stride, Satoru spoke again. “We’re about to be finished,” he explained in a low voice, only for you to hear. “You’ll be dancing with Suguru next. When it’s time to switch, I’ll tell you to turn around, and he’ll be waiting for you.”

All you could give in response was a nod, feeling a bit more out of breath than your friend, who still hadn’t even broken a sweat, as far as you could tell. It was only a few moments later that you heard a slight shift in the music, and Satoru told you to turn around before doing so himself. You did as you were told, turning around to become Suguru’s partner.

The dark haired boy smiled at you when you were facing each other again, and you blinked in surprise when you saw his hair. It was pulled back from his face in a bun, like he usually wore it now that it was getting longer, but all the dancing and spinning had caused a small, slightly shorter section in the front to fall down in front of his eyes.

“Your hair looks nice like that,” you panted, not even thinking about the words before you said them aloud. Once you realized what you’d said, you felt your cheeks burn a bit more than they already were.

Suguru seemed a bit surprised by your words, but not upset, if his smile was anything to go by. “You think so?” he asked, as the two of you exchanged bows. “Maybe I’ll wear it like this on purpose now. It never wants to stay put, anyways.”

A small laugh tumbled from your lips at his words, but it was all you could manage before beginning to dance again. Now that you were more familiar with the steps and how they flowed together, you were able to loosen up a bit, and worry less about whether you were going to accidentally step on Suguru’s feet – something you did, in fact, wind up doing, but he waved off.

“I still have my toes,” he teased softly, and you chanced a quick look down to make sure he wasn’t lying about not being hurt. Sure enough, his feet were fine, his own sandals still held securely in place by their black leather straps. Once that little hiccup was out of the way, though, you felt much better. 

By the time you were passed back to Satoru, you were much more comfortable, smiling more easily despite how breathless you felt. You danced until you felt certain your legs were going to collapse beneath you, and until you began to feel a bit dizzy from how much spinning around you were doing. Just before you were going to have to step out of the dance, though, the music crescendoed before ending with a flourish, and you nearly wept with relief. The gathered crowd broke out into cheers and applause again, and at the same moment, your best friends both threw themselves at you to wrap you up in a hug. You laughed and hugged them back as best you could for a few long moments, only pulling away when you heard your mother call your name.

“It’s time to go home,” she told you gently. “It’s getting very late, and you need to rest.”

You nodded at her words, knowing she was right and longing for your own bed back at home, but you were reluctant to part from the boys; you’d spent every waking moment and then some with them for over a week, and you didn’t know how you were going to be able to sleep without them in the same room with you.

Sensing your hesitation, Satoru squeezed you tighter. “Go home,” he murmured. “We’ll see you soon. You’ll be attending lessons and training with us now, remember?”

“Get some sleep,” Suguru agreed, also holding you a bit closer. “I’m sure Satoru will drag me into town tomorrow to cause problems.”

“I’ll wait until after breakfast,” Satoru promised, and you all laughed softly. 

“Bye,” you whispered, finally releasing them from your hold. They whispered it back, waving as you walked back to your parents. You gladly accepted Takara back from your mother, smiling as she bumped her head against your cheek before draping herself around your neck once again. 

Your parents kept you close as they picked out a path through the crowd, somehow managing to get you out of the square without anyone trying to stop you to talk or to ask to see your dragon. Having Spark around to growl at people is nice, sometimes, you thought to yourself. Once you were away from the brightly lit city square and the heat brought by the bonfire and the crowd, you found yourself yawning and shivering as you walked, the faint breeze quickly chilling the sweat on your skin.

“Your bed is ready for you when we get home,” your father promised, and you nodded, thanking him softly and leaning against him slightly as you walked. It wasn’t too far to your house, thankfully, and your parents quickly ushered you inside. You stumbled a bit on your way to your bedroom, and you didn’t even dream of protesting as your mother followed you, being quick but careful as she helped you out of your kimono, folding the material and placing it on your dresser, then setting each of the accessories you wore on top of it: first the belt, then the bracelets, then the headpiece. She helped you out of your sandals, then placed them by the door. You weren’t sure why she was being so careful with everything, but you were too tired to ask. 

Giving you a moment to pull on something else to sleep in, your mother stepped into the bathroom, returning a few moments later with a damp cloth. She knelt in front of you, her touch gentle as she wiped the remains of your makeup from your face, though you were fairly certain you had already sweat most of it off. Eventually she deemed you clean enough, and you yawned, rubbing your eyes; you couldn’t remember the last time you were so tired.

At some point while helping you undress, your mother had placed Takara on your pillow, and she had fallen asleep waiting for you. Gently, you lifted her from her spot, holding her in one arm as you crawled beneath your blankets for the night. You looked up at your parents as they walked to your bedside, and you smiled as they took turns leaning down to kiss you on the forehead and tell you goodnight. You mumbled back an almost unintelligible “goodnight,” sleep quickly overtaking you now that you were in comfortable clothes and in your own bed for the first time in so long. Tomorrow was the first day of your new life, but for now, you were glad to be home.

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[koolades-world]

CONGRATULATIONS ON 2K

Can I request Satan and MC with 17 and 28?

Now for the sappy stuff:

It felt like it was just yesterday that I was binging "Just like Lilith," (yes, been here that long with notifs still on for you and everything) and now you've grown so much, and I just 😭. Please keep writing, I've seen your style change and improve, and I am so glad to be on this little journey watching my favourite author get the love they deserve.

awwww thank you!! it means a lot to me that you stuck with me through my extended unintentional break haha. i for sure thought i'd basically have to start from scratch again after that. i also think i freaked out a little when i saw the words my favorite author. words can hardly describe how i feel. like me?? me is someone favorite author? sending you all the love in the world anon 🫶 so glad you've joined me on this train that is my writing haha

enjoy <33

prompts 17 and 28 w/ Satan

Satan loved a lot of things. Perfectly warm tea, chunky cats, late nights of reading followed by lazy mornings, the smell of old books, but most importantly, you. He wished he could spend everyday with you by his side. Which was the reason he agreed to go on the stupid family camping trip in the first place. You were his sweetheart, so of course he couldn’t deny the puppy dog eyes and pleading when the trip was proposed on the first place.

He didn't inherently hate camping. He preferred glamping, but camping wasn't the worst thing in the world. Being far away from other demons and in the solitude of nature was preferable, minus the fact that he could only have a select few books. What really bothered him was the fact that it was a family trip. He'd be trapped in the middle of nowhere with the six demons that annoyed him the most. He tried to look at it from the bright side though, as you would tell him. He'd be there with you to, after all.

The spot Beel and Lucifer had picked was remote, beautiful and mountainous, but the trip there wasn't too long. Somehow, there were only seven tents, and a brawl almost started over who'd get to share a tent with Mc. Satan was in the center, but while they were at each others throats, Mc had set up one of the tents on their own and laid stakes to it. Beel and Belphie ended up sharing a tent. Honestly, it was a power move on your end and only made him love you more.

You lounged in the center of camp on a blanket on your back while everyone else set up tents. Belphie wasn't helping, of course, and was basically right on top of you. That was the beginning of the end for Satan. You chatted with everyone swirling around you as they worked, and it wasn't too irritating until Mammon and Levi got into another argument. Then, Lucifer insisted they 'act more like a family' and have together time, which meant they needed a campfire. Nobody else made the move to make it, so when he stepped up to the plate, you were kind enough to join him. The two of you were able to talk while you worked, gathering firewood, which he thought would be enough to calm him down. Soon, the two of you got the fire lit with magic, and you went off one more time to gather more tinder. Upon returning back, while unsure what you'd returned to, you were just in time to watch Beel throw water onto the fire, putting it out. That was his last straw.

Satan threw down the kindling he'd gathered and stormed off in the direction he'd just come from. "Satan! Wait, please come back." You turned and tried to run after him, but he was gone quickly. The other six brothers watched silently. After seeing that they were not going to follow him, and planned to resume as normal, you shook your head. "You guys are awful to each other. Don't follow me, I can protect myself." You too went off in the forest, only after anticipating that the brothers would try to follow you, not their brother.

You weren't exactly sure which way he'd gone, but you could feel his anger somehow. Maybe it was the pact, or maybe it was your magic. Either way, it helped you follow him higher and higher into the mountains. The trees thinned out, and eventually, you saw him sitting in the middle of a small clearing near the edge of a cliff. He turned slightly to see who'd followed him, and turned back around after seeing it was you. "Glad I found you." You sat next to him.

"What do you want?" His words were sharp.

"I just came to keep you company." You leaned over to take his hand. He jumped a little, but gripped it back. You laced your fingers with his.

"I'm fine. Nothing is wrong." He didn't look at you, but you could still see the ever-shifting expression on his face.

"You know just as well as I do that that's not the truth," you told him.

"I'm telling the truth, Mc." He tried to refute what you'd said.

"You're a terrible liar." You could almost laugh at his false insistence.

"What if I was upset? What would you do?" Instead of responding to you, he presented you with a 'hypothetical' question.

"Well, I'd tell you I was here for you, and that I understand how much your brothers can be. We can just stay here, if you'd like. Hypothetically, of course." You couldn't help but laugh a little over the way the two of you were communicating.

"I would tell you that sounds great, but that I have a better spot in mind for relaxing." He got up, seeming calmer than he had been before. You could still tell he needed a little more time, but you knew just spending time with him would help.

"Lead the way, Satan." The two of you began a short walk through the forest again. With him holding your hand, it was much easier to feel safer in the rather unfamiliar forest. You could protect the both of you, no doubt, but it was comforting nonetheless with him by your side. The walk was peaceful, and filled with comfortable silence. You eventually reached a river. While it wasn't particularly fast looking, peering into the water showed that it was deep. For a while, the two of you sat beside the water, talking minimally. The two of you enjoyed each others company, and the scenery.

"Ready to go back?" Satan stood up. You were surprised that he had been the one to ask that. You weren't sure what time it was, but you at least thought you'd be out there for another hour or so. You knew him and how long it took him to decompress sometimes.

"Yes. I'm getting a little tired." With a yawn, you got to your feet with the help of Satan's extended hand. You must've not been as steady with your footing as your though, because as soon as he let go of your hand, you promptly stepped on a loose rock and took a tumble into the water.

The water was cold, and you were only fully submerged briefly, but in that short time, Satan had jumped in after you. He was quick to swim after you, and grab ahold of you so you wouldn't get separated by the flowing water. "Are you alright?" He grabs onto a nearby rock to stop the two of you from getting pulled further.

"Just surprised is all. You came in after me." You pushed his wet hair out of his face so he could actually see you.

"Of course I did." He stated that as if it was obvious.

"I'm flattered, but I would've been alright. You didn't have to get soaked too just for that." You mentally sighed when you thought about how long it would take you to dry off. At least now, you'd have each other for company while you dried.

"I just wanted to make sure you were alright. Please don't go anywhere I can't follow," he said. You laughed a little at first at his words, a little confused.

"What do you mean? You jumped in after me." You put your hands on his shoulders to better keep yourself from getting swept away, since you could feel the subtly drag of the river.

"Not in just a physical sense. What if you were hurt? I can't lose you, especially not over something I could prevent." He sounded very solemn. His response wasn't something you anticipated, and it took you a second to process.

"I care a lot about you too. Thank you, for everything." There was so much more you wanted to say, but struggled to find the words for. So, instead, you hugged him as best as you could.

"It's the least I could do for the human who changed my life." Satan reciprocated as best as he could with the one arm that was already around you.

"Let's get out of the water before we catch a cold. If we're lucky, your brothers will be asleep and we'll have the fire to ourselves." You could already picture the lovely time the two of you would have by the campfire together. By the look on his face, you could tell he was thinking something similar.

"Hang tight then." Satan smiled at you. It was the most beautiful smile you'd ever seen. It communicated everything he felt, even the words unspoken. If you weren't sure of your feelings before, you were now. The avatar of wrath, your sweetheart.

[tatsumessy]

You took my heart, and gave it a home - {epilogue}

Synopsis

you, rin and all the blue lock boys are classmates in your final year of high school. both of you have to work together on a project so thankfully yours good friend bachira was way too excited to give it to you, but who knew that would turn into everyone you know and love finding out your worst secret.

Pairing

Itoshi Rin x fem reader

Warningssss

NSFW 🤭 fingering, if you peek boob sucking, making out, praising

Author Notes

I want to cry!!! This is the end to the series so I wanted to give a little comment ya know. So I started the series because of a song called Mirror by Madison Ryann Ward, you should listen to it, it’s so efffingggggggg good guys. So because of her song it inspired me to right this little series. I admittedly cried on one specific part because it was just hard for me to write and trying to get yn to express how she was feeling and actually realize that she needed help was difficult. I know with my emotions I struggle with expressing myself so it hit a little close to home. Other than that I really hope you all enjoyed reading!!!! If you have any other suggestions on what you want me to write whether it be a series or a one shot don’t hesitate to ask. My request are always open. Thank you guys and I love youuuu ❤️ special shout-out to @sheeshizzy for giving me the BEST reactions each upload 🤭

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Stepping out of the bathroom you covered yourself with your arms and stared at the ground. “There you go. What’s wrong Y/n?” He asked grabbing your hands and forcing you to sit on the bed while his thumbs rubbed the back of your hands. “I’m just embarrassed is all.” He cocked his head to the side in confusion as he bent down getting eye level with you. “And why’s that?” You took a deep breath before looking up at him, his gaze softened seeing your weary expression.

“You know we didn’t have to come.” He said moving his hands to your exposed thighs so that he could gently massage them. “But we’ve been doing this tradition ever since high school graduation. We just graduated from college Rin of course we had to come. It’s just the guys girlfriends are so pretty and they’re so confident. When I look at my stomach and look at the two scars I just start to get insecure.” He sat there listening intently to your confession, “And they’ve never seen me without my clothes on. I just feel like I’m exposing myself to a stranger Rin.”

“I love your scars. They’re you. They represent the trauma and abuse you overcame. These scars,” he pointed towards your stomach touching the center of one of them. “They’re beautiful just like you. I’m proud of you for coming out here and talking to me.” He said leaning forward and pressing a kiss against your lips, “I’m nervous Rin.” You admitted and went to cover your stomach with your arms again but he stopped you. He lunged forward and started peppering your stomach with kisses, you fell back into the plush cushion of the comforter and laughed feeling him continuously kiss your most precious area.

“I love all of you Y/n, you understand me?” He said looking up at you through his eyelashes, there he goes with the look. It doesn’t help that his teal eyes drew you in each time. “Come here.” You cooed and he obliged getting up off of his knees to hover above your body, your hands came on each side of his face and you pulled him down to kiss you.

His tongue collided along with yours and his mouth molded perfectly with yours. He brought his hips down grinding into your now aching core as your hands made their way to the top of his jacket slowly unzipping it. He pressed himself a little harder into you forcing a small moan out of you, you slipped his jacket of and threw in on the ground leaving him in his swim trunks and you in your matching bikini set. He pulled away breathing heavily and taking in the sight under him, his girlfriend of four years lying under him ready for him to take her.

“Rin I’m ready. I promise.” You spoke caressing the sides of his face as he looked at you with slight worry. After the whole incident happened you and Rin hadn’t had sex because you were still traumatized from the situation. You went to therapy and slowly healed from it with Rin by your side the whole time, for four years the furthest you two went was oral sex. Imagine the blue balls he has from not being able to have sex, I mean you even have blue coochie. But that didn’t change the fact that you were ready. Right here, right now.

“I love you Rin.” You said pulling him in for a more calming kiss, he gave you a once over before quickly responding and devouring your lips again. His hand reached down towards your clothed core, he moved the bikini bottom to the side and used his ring and middle finger to rub in between your folds with ease thanks to you already being wet. Without fail his finger dipped inside of you instantly reaching your g spot and tickling it each time he swung his fingers back and forth.

You moaned into his mouth noticing how he was humping your thigh trying to get off while pleasuring you. The pace of his fingers got faster as he pumped them in and out of you abusing that spongey spot that made lewd moans fall from your mouth. “Fuck…Rin please.” You whined out and he smirked looking down at his fingers going in and out of you, “please what? What do you want baby?” He said in a low whisper swiftly slowing down his hand and focusing on you. “Please fuck me Rin.” “Yes ma’am.” He said pulling his fingers out and quickly cleaning them off with his mouth.

He hooked his hands under your legs and lifted them up, you didn’t even realize he pulled his cock out and had it aligned with your entrance. His mouth fell open, letting out a soft groan as he felt your cunt suck him in. "You're just... So— ugh!— tight!" He slammed himself all the way inside of you, hips meeting yours as he bottomed out. You feel a shudder run down your spine, gripping the sheets below you as you feel your walls flutter around his length, an orgasm hitting you like a wave. Rin grunted as he felt your juices coating his cock, he started thrusting with the additional lubrication.

Your hands came up to his arms that were caged around your abdomen and you started digging your finger into his arms. His cock slid in and out of you filling up every last inch inside of you. For the first time since he started engorging in your pussy he made eye contact with you. You felt your heart skip a beat at how absolutely starved and beautiful he looked. His bangs were stuck to his forehead due to sweat and his cheeks were flushed more than they would on a normal day. His teal eyes looked at you like you were the most beautiful person on earth, you clenched unconsciously and he let out the most sexist gut wrenching moan ever and you almost came again.

“Fuck.” He cursed leaning down and hiding his face in your neck, his thrust increasingly got faster and your moans progressively got louder. He continued to thrust and occasionally look up at you loving how beautiful you looked when you were feeling good. Wet slapping sounds echoed off the walls of Reo’s guest room making you hide your face into Rin’s chest. Your moans became shaky with every thrust that pushed your body closer and closer to your limit, the knot in your stomach was getting tighter and with the more he pounded into you the harder you clenched.

Rin panted praises into your ear between his grunts and moans speeding up even faster. His hot breath fanned against the bare skin of your shoulder causing goosebumps to rise to the surface. To make sure he wasn’t missing any part of his lovers body he leaned down giving each of your tits long loving kisses. He’d have indulge in those another time because right now with how tight your cunt was squeezing him he was ready to bust. “I’m coming rin ~” you moaned out arching your back and pressing yours chest flush against his.

He groaned feeling your orgasm create a white ring around his cock, this created a train reaction. His cock twitched and in a matter of seconds his load was emptied inside of you. His body collapsed on top of you and the two of you laid there for a minute trying to catch your breath. Removing himself from the warmth he so badly wanted to melt into he needed to properly take care of you. He went into the bathroom and cleaned himself off before coming out and making sure you could nap without feeling sticky and uncomfortable.

He came back out the bathroom to see you snuggled against the comforter falling into a deeper sleep. He grabbed his jacket off the floor and slipped it onto your body then getting in the bed next to you. You immediately clutched onto him and smiled basking in his embrace, he smiled kissing your forehead and falling asleep with the love of his life clinging onto him.

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[floralifetime]

Toruk Makto's Sister.

Warning: Very bad writing, some grammatical error (English is not my fist language so please be kind), mention of death, mention of bad parenting.

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⚠️⚠️Phrase and various images are not mine, all credits to their respective owners.⚠️⚠️

Chapter n.3 Pursued by a Thanator

“Many people talk to nature and animals, not everyone is able to listen, however. It is such a pity."

The following morning, after a shared breakfast and making sure my brother was okay, I headed to the armory with my personal bow on my back and a quiver of arrows that will allow me to train for a couple of hours. Yes, I brought my bow with me, I don't use it in the army for clear reasons, but the calm and and lucidity needed to know how to use it well always helps me to clear my mind and relaxes me despite being a very tiring hobby. I am passionate about unconventional weapons, the bow and the scythe are my favourites, but knives also have a special place in my heart, throwing ones I mean.

I breathe deeply as I pull an arrow out of my quiver, position it, take aim and release the tightrope, the dart breaks the air and finds its place, in the center of the target in front of me and only then I release the breath I had been holding until now. The training went on for the two hours that I had calculated at the beginning, I must admit that archery has helped a lot, it has helped me to relax a little since I have been very excited since I opened my eyes this morning and that I don't walk, I fly for enthusiasm. At least that's what I do until I freeze in place because I see Colonel Quaritch looking around as if he's looking for someone in particular. I really hope it's not me, because anyone who considers this place only a conquest destination and has no respect for the life present here, I don't consider it worthy of my attention. I don't care who it is, maybe that's why Grace and I hit it off immediately, she hates Quaritch and Selfridge too, we feel alike. “Hey Sully!” I hear myself called by the only person present here besides me, the one I really didn't want to see, always my usual luck. I freeze in place, turning to him quickly, I see him walking with all the calm in the world in my direction, stopping only when he thinks he's gotten close enough. I don't know what's keeping me from taking at least four steps back to avoid it. “How can I help you, sir?” I ask forcing a smile, pretending a respectful tone as much as possible, I don't think I'm happy with it, the dislike I feel for him is greater than my ability to pretend. “You get straight to the point, huh? I like it, not wasting time on useless pleasantries.” he replies. “Precisely what you are doing, I think. So, what do you need?” he smiles and approaches further, this time I back away putting a little distance between the two of us, luckily he understands the hint and stops on the spot. "You're right, I apologize, Sully." I glared at him for a couple of minutes and he only spoke when I raised an impatient eyebrow. “I wanted to know where your brother is. I'm sure you've seen it, I mean, after Tommy's death you wouldn't gladly part with the other one, right?” my eyes widen, this is bullshit, using Tommy's death to get what he wants. I wonder, if he has no qualms about using such a biting and painful topic for me just to get such simple information, what is he willing to do to get something more? The possibilities are endless for someone like him and it scares me a lot.

“I don't know exactly where he is, the only thing I know for sure is that he's not here in the armory, but I think you've already figured it out since you have working eyes.” I retort trying to regain a minimum of that character that distinguishes me when it comes to my family. "I can't believe you don't know exactly where he is." he smiles mockingly while I have to do my best to repress a growl that has very little human. "What I know I've already told you, and see if you can do something productive and useful, if you need my brother, go find him by yourself." I answer. “Aw, did I hurt little Sully's feelings? I thought that sharpshooter had to be calm and concentrated to do their job well…" he turns to leave and I, unable to resist the anger I feel for him, put on my bow, nock my arrow and let it go, breaking one part of the fabric of the shirt he wears, just near his neck. He turned around slowly, his eyes wide open, I can't tell if he was scared, but he didn't expect such a thing, that's for sure. The corner of my mouth quirks in a mocking, cheeky smile as I put my bow away and shrug slightly. "I'm a sharpshooter, I don't miss the target, if I didn't hit you it means I don't want to hit you for now." "You're making a grave mistake, Sully." he growls. “Yes, like your mother when she gave birth to you.” I retort as I leave, shouldering him hard enough to force him to move a little from the position he was in.

“Grace, can I tell you something?” I ask her as I pass her the mixture she needs. "Certain." she cuts it short as she applies it. “I saw Quaritch in the armory.” Grace raises an eyebrow and glares at me out of the corner of her eye, slowing her work. "And? He's a Marine, like your brother. It is normal to see him in the armory.” “I thought so too. At least until he asked me about my brother." She interrupts her work to turn to me and look at me, she knows exactly how I feel about them since my opinion matches hers. “What did he want?” she asks suspiciously. "I don't know exactly, he wanted to know where he was." “Did you tell him?” cautious question. "Absolutely not! You know I would never feed my brother to him!" I don't even pronounce his name because he is hateful. "What did you tell him?" she asks. "That I didn't know exactly where he was." She reflects for a while. "I don't like that he wanted to know, ask your brother for an explanation." I nod. “Do you think he want something from Jakey? I don't think he just wants to ask how the journey was, he doesn't care." Grace nods in concentration. "Obviously he wants something, Quaritch is not the type to care about anything other than achieving his goals, no matter how inhuman and violent they are." her voice takes on a melancholy tone, just as her gaze is lost in memories that I cannot touch, which occurred before my arrival here. “I'd rather Quaritch just leave my brother alone, I really don't want to know Jakey with characters like that.” We are silent for a couple of minutes before I speaks again "Do you think that… Does he want to involve Jakey in his plans?" I ask. "It's possible, I hope not for you anyway. In any case we just have to wait, because at this moment we have nothing in our hands, keep an eye on your brother and ask him for explanations when you learn that he has been chatting with Quaritch. ” I sigh heavily "But Grace, Jakey is an adult, and he's stubborn…If I try to investigate too much he might get annoyed and not tell me anything." "Be discreet, then." I nod. "There's something about what I said that doesn't convince you, right?" she asks me and I deny. “It's not so much what you said, it's that it makes me anxious knowing that Quaritch is looking for my brother for reasons of his, which I don't know, and knowing the character, there can't be good reasons that push him to talk to Jakey. On the other hand, my brother is an adult and can make the decisions he wants, I can't help it, unfortunately or fortunately, it depends on the case. I trust my brother, he's all I have left, I know he wouldn't do something that would make me feel bad." I conclude. I don't trust Quaritch, I don't now and I never will, but I trust my brother.

“I don't know who gave you a gun but I doubt his intelligence, Jakey.” I smile. “Hey, aren't you glad you have your big brother to protect you?” he smiles mockingly, slightly flexing the muscles of his arms, just to show his strength. I roll my eyes and smile. “You are such an exhibitionist…” “But you love me for that too, right little sister?” he makes puppy eyes, and once I nod and shake my head, he tosses my hair affectionately.

Time X has now come and we are boarding Trudy's Samson to be transported deep into the forest of Pandora for the mission. “Well, nice to meet you guys, I'm Trudy and my job is to escort you deep into the forest and pick you up.” the pilot welcomes us from her driving seat. “Trudy, I'm so glad to see you!” I exclaim, I hadn't seen her yet because she was already up when we arrived with our Avatar bodies. Trudy turned to me and smiled. "Do you recognize me?" I asked her, curious. “You are very different, of course, but yes, I recognize you. Your gentle gaze is always the same, it is unmistakable.” I blush heavily, I'm not very used to believing compliments, even though my older brother never misses an opportunity to give them to me. "See? I'm not the only one who says you're beautiful!" Jakey teases me as I pat his shoulder lightly and playfully while the others giggle. "Anyway checks your older brother, I already asked him to deal with the weapons, makes sure he doesn't get too happy about it." this time it was my turn to laugh as Jakey pouted, I have to admit that even though he's my older brother, he's downright adorable with that frown on his face. "You look really adorable with that expression, you know that?" I ask him smiling, he quickly turns his head towards me, his eyes wide. He brings both hands to his chest, pressing them against his heart in pretended fainting. “This is really bad, little sister!” he whimpers. “You struck deep into my pride as it shattered along with my poor Marine heart!” he leans back in the seat, pretending to die, mouth open and tongue out. I burst out laughing and hugged him as best I could, Jakey stood still for a couple of seconds and then returned his hug laughing. “Jakey?” I asked just before lifting my head from his shoulder. "Yes?" she answered, gently tugging at one of my braids. “What did Quaritch want? Did he find you in the end?” he stiffens slightly before answering. "Nothing important, really. He wanted to make sure I protected you well and did a good job. Not big deal, Sweety.” I nod even if his slight initial stiffness makes me think. "Ok, now we're off, get ready!" announces Trudy.

“Bye Trudy, remember to pick us up!” I yell at her once she gets off the Samson, the noise it makes is deafening and drowns out our voices, so that we are all forced to scream. “Of course not, I would never forget my best friend, who do you take me for!? Think about being careful rather than tell me about it, okay?” I nod as I look around, noticing a plethora of Stingbats hovering around the craft. "Careful, those are Stingbats, and their venom is very dangerous." Grace informs us. “Little sister, be careful…What the heck?!” a couple of Stingbats had detached themselves from the group and started circling me, at face level, but they didn't seem willing to attack me. I chuckled slightly, spinning around, following the two little animals. One of them, particularly sociable, landed on my shoulder, he didn't seem intimidated or even aggressive towards me, I slowly approached his hand to his little head, and then stroked him slowly, I didn't want to make sudden movements so as not to scare him, their low intelligence makes them perfect prey, so sudden movements are not the best, despite their very high vision. He let himself be given a couple of caresses, and then flew off peacefully with the others. “Bye little ones!” I greeted them, then turned to my mission mates, and Trudy who was still with us. Grace simply had an eyebrow raised, not surprised by this "strangeness" all mine, Trudy smiled and winked at me, while Norm and my brother had such big eyes that they looked like owls. “Have you touched and interacted with any Stingbats and are you still alive? And do you still have all your fingers? Didn't they stung you or attack you?" Norm asks in a tone somewhere between tense and amazed. "That's interesting too, but it's also true that those flying outside the base have never attacked you, I'm right Y/N?” Grace smiles, while I nod. "You know how dangerous they are, right? Surely you know, you've been trained…" "Of course I know, also because, if you had listened to Grace, you would have known that outside the base where we come from there are quite a few, but nothing has ever happened to me.” Norm turns to Grace, who nods in concentration. "Nothing has ever happened to her, I confirm. They have never been aggressive, even though she often went out in the evening to observe the stars and the sky." Grace informs him, "In fact, it happened often enough that they would stop flying around the sentry guns and come flying near me, but I was never once stung or attacked." I smile. “And is there an explanation for this behavior?” asks Norm who has overcome the concern, leaving only the wonder to take possession of him. "No, not that I know of at least." Grace says. “Looks like you still got a handle on it, sis.” Jakey winks at me as I blush again. “Do what?” Norm asks. “Well, let's say that she has always had a predilection for animals and nature in general, despite the fact that many forms of plant life have now completely disappeared from our planet. What I mean is that she doesn't seem to have lost the magical touch about her." he giggles as I look everywhere but at them.

Since I was a child I developed a great empathy and sensitivity towards animals and plants, I was not very popular in our country, I only had my older brothers because I was considered "strange" and "weak" given my basically kind and unselfish personality. I didn't have any friends and things at home couldn't be said to be that much better, my parents didn't care much about me like they didn't care much about Tommy and Jakey, we always rolled up our sleeves to take care of all three together. This loneliness prompted me to develop a high capacity for identification with animals, often strays, who were mistreated or ignored like me, I don't know exactly how, but this also applies to plants, as if I were able to perceive and feel their suffering, as if I felt it myself, just by looking at them. I took care of them, and they, in turn, helped me in my time of need, becoming my most loyal friends and making my "weird" reputation worse than in the beginning. But every cloud has a silver lining, as if I hadn't already pulled out my claws when it came to defending my brothers, I definitely pulled them out for the animals and so I can say that they also helped me get stronger, without losing my kindness and humanity, which on Earth as we know it, is absolutely not a given.

“It is something that she has been carrying around since she was a child, I dare say, since she was born!” Jakey smiles. “Okay, but that's enough now because we're not here to talk, but to accompany me to collect various samples. Now, let's stick together and not part, okay? The forest is dangerous at any hour but even more at night. Have I been clear?” Grace brings everyone back to reality while also saving me from a very embarrassing situation, I can't thank her enough for that. We all nod and I instinctively approach my brother, squeezing next to him. "Come on let's go, let's not waste time!" the scientist prods us and we set off into the depths of the forest, with my warning to Jakey, to be careful with his gun, which echoed behind us.

The forest was magnificent, of a luxuriant green, it didn't need that there were who knows how many noises to guess the life that lived there, strong in its prosperity. The few sounds that were heard all came from the various groups of animals to which the forest provided a verdant refuge, who regularly saw the gun of my evil mastermind older brother pointed at them. “Jakey, how many times do I have to tell you not to point the weapon at any source of noise?” I ask him. “But what do we know if a predator is hiding there in the middle of the branches? Prudence is never too much.” he replies as he points his weapon at peaceful Prolemuris. “Those, Jakey, aren't predators.” I specified. “Your sister is right, Marine, their name is Prolemuris, and they won't attack anyone here as they are non-aggressive, despite living in very large groups.” The yellow eyes of the creatures moved constantly between me and everyone else, especially Jakey who, being close to me, was even closer than the others to them. Their inquisitive eyes soon move definitively to me, who smiles softly, tilts my head to one side and approaches them calmly, carefully listening to their lively chirps and trying to reproduce them, which I do well enough to let some of them down so that I find myself face to face with three of them, who look at me happy, they seem to have understood that I'm not an enemy and that I'd like to play a bit with them. I have always thought that animals, terrestrial or otherwise, have a higher capacity for understanding than is normally attributed to them. As if they feel and knew how to distinguish the good people from the bad ones, the weird one of the group, after all.

I gently extend an arm towards them, it seems to me that they are a young male or female given its liveliness, a mother with a baby on her back and another who I think is a male who has come to check the situation, especially the mother with the puppy as they are very protective of their puppies. The livelier one climbs without hesitation on my hand, cheerfully chirping along my entire arm to then land on my shoulder, and starting to lightly pull some strands of my hair. “Hey, little guy! Stop pulling my hair…" I slowly turned my face towards him and moved my finger just as slowly, to then stroke his little head, he liked the attention because he chirped happily, starting to climb further, settling on my head. I chuckle as I slowly bend down to observe the mother with the baby, he will not have been bigger than my hand. The mother also leaned towards me and I made her little head collide with her nose, which she rubbed against my cheek affectionately, allowing me to stroke both her and the baby. The puppy climbed onto my finger, and when I gently approached him he nuzzled my cheek, making me giggle. He was really adorable, as much as his mom who chirped happily when I helped the little one get back to her, safe and sound. The male, initially suspicious, had calmed down and approached, leaning towards my nose, touching or examining with a curious look, his movements made me giggle, he seems to like my laugh because he chirped happy and curious every time he noticed how my nose would move. I interacted with them for a couple more minutes before they all retreated together. “Bye little ones, have a nice day!” I greeted them as I watched my brother walk towards me with a knowing look on his face and a smirk on his lips.

“And we are already at two animals that react in a particular way with you.” Grace smiles as Jakey walks me over to her and Norm. “I said it, you have an innate predisposition towards nature and animals. She doesn't surprise me that this is the case." grins my brother. “Well, you must be right, Prolemuris are very protective of their puppies and something like this has definitely never happened before.” Norm nods. "Come on, let's continue but be careful, surely the Na'vi are already keeping an eye on us." begins Grace. “And definitely under fire.” I conclude as we walk.

“Be careful, this is Hammerhead Titanothere territory.” warns Grace. "Are they dangerous?" Jakey inquires putting his hand on the gun he's carrying around. "No, at least they're not angry, they're herbivores but it would be better not to underestimate them…Take them like Pandora's rhinos." I inform him and Jakey nods, looking around, immediately noticing the particular plants, the fluorescent mushrooms which, as soon as they are touched, sink into the ground as a form of defense. Their name is Helicoradian, and they are not very happy to entertain my brother as he was intent on playing, touching them repeatedly. I could feel that the mushrooms didn't appreciate Jakey's way of having fun at all, I closed my eyes and breathed deeply, it seemed to me that I was connected with the forest itself, as if her heart beat in conjunction with mine. “Jakey, please don't play with this plant.” I said approaching him and placing a hand on his shoulder. "It's fun to see how they retreat to the ground." Jakey chuckled. "Yes, I guess it is for you and don't get me wrong, I'm glad you're having fun and enjoying being here, but that plant doesn't appreciate the way you do it at all, you know? Its retreat into the ground is a form of defense, she thinks you mean to hurt her.” My brother turns to me, raising an eyebrow and continuing to do what he was doing despite my warnings, prompting the entire group of Helicoradian to retreat, showing a Hammerhead Titanothere not at all happy with Jakey's intervention and his presence. My brother, definitely known for his intelligence, seeing that the Hammerhead Titanothere was obviously aggressive, pointed his gun at him, while Grace and Norm joined us, having previously departed to collect the famous samples we went out for in the first place.

“Don't shoot him, you'll just irritate him!” Grace warned him. “And what do I do with this beast? Shall I waltz with it?” sarcastic question my brother. The Hammerhead slammed her hammer into the trees nearby. “He's pissed already, by the way!” “Jakey, what do you think you do to a Hammerhead? Your bullets on its outer shell have the same effect as teeth on armor.” “Then what do we do?” my brother asks continuing to hold him at gunpoint. "Don't shoot or try to attack him, if you were to attempt such a feat he would charge you with all his strength, you wouldn't like to suffer such a thing." says Grace. Jakey obviously doesn't listen to her and, trying to drive the animal away, fires a shot at it, so the Hammerhead charges at Jakey, stopping confused when I stand between them, ignoring Jakey who tries everything to push myself behind him. My arms are raised and slightly forward, with my hands open and palms facing him, so that he realizes that I have no weapons and, therefore, am not an enemy. "Shh…It's alright, you're scared, aren't you?” I whisper softly, moving my hands slowly, always so as not to frighten him, I have to be careful and be delicate to resolve this situation without anyone getting hurt.

"You see? I don't have those ugly things that other people have." I nod after he looks at me curious and even a little suspicious for a couple of minutes. “Can I come closer, honey?” my voice seems to reassure him, so I approach slowly, calmly, while he looks at me curiously. "It's okay, you're fine, I promise." I smile softly, when I'm close enough I tenderly pass a hand on his neck and head, while he grumbled contentedly approaching me. "I'm sorry if we scared you, baby, it wasn't our intention, I promise." I smile, while I caress him. “Little one? Is that small?” Jakey asks bewildered, I ignore him while I scratch his head. The interaction between us goes on for a while, until the Hammerhead runs away scared, I don't know from what.

"What the heck happened?" Jakey asked, as dazed as I was by the animal's rapid change in mood. We turned slowly and we were greeted by the worst sight that could greet us, worse even than a group of armed and angry Na'vi. A big Thanator, straight and proud that he looked at us as if we were his next tasty dinner. "What do we do with this? Run away? Don't run away?" Jakey asked as he raised his weapon, pointing it at the Thanator. "We definitely run!" I scream. We started running and soon, in the confusion, separated. Jakey and I were running at breakneck speed, with him trying everything to keep me from falling behind him and when he could he fired a few shots at the beast, trying to drive it away but increasing his anger, continuing to run we came up to a waterfall with the water that formed a lake under it. I heard the speedy footsteps of the predator getting closer and closer, I looked around to look for a possible way out that didn't include diving headlong into a lake of unknown size and depth. I found none and, by the time it took me to inspect the surroundings around us, the Thanator had caught up with us and had aimed at my brother who had his back to him trying to control the height of the cliff where we were. Just as the Thanator leapt forward to attack Jakey, I positioned myself between him and the predator, pushing my brother off the cliff with all my strength. Jakey screamed in surprise and fell forward, staggering forward and feeling a strange tiredness I ran and plunged headlong into the lake below us.

Once I hit the water, a sharp, excruciating pain pierces my shoulder making me gasp to reach the surface and get to the shore, I can only get back up thanks to the help of my brother who has joined me. "What happened? Are you ok?" he asks me worried. “I think the Thanator scratched me before we jumped…” Jakey gently grabbed my arm and checked the open wound which was still bleeding, not the best. "Damn it!! Take off your shirt, we're using it as a makeshift blindfold. Put my coat over it to cover you up.” he says pulling off the military textured coat he's wearing as I proceed to take off my shirt and wrap it around my shoulder, then put on Jakey's jacket. "We've parted ways with Norm and Grace, we don't know where we are and it's getting dark, it couldn't get any worse!" he moans helping me to my feet. "I'm sorry, I don't want to slow you down, but my arm hurts." I start by trying to reach him. “Can you go slower, please?” I ask as he stops, letting me join him. "Imagine, does it hurt so much?" he asks while I just nod.

This is chapter 3 and yes I know it took me forever to get this out😅…Sorry to anyone who has read and enjoyed so far but it's been a busy few days and I couldn't find a good time to write. I apologize so much, and I take this opportunity to thank anyone who has read up to now, hoping that they have enjoyed everything❤️.

Taglist: @avatarbyamara

©️Floralifetime April 20-2023, please do not republish, repost, steal, modify, translate or claim my work as your own. All rights reserved.

[1waywardbirdlane]

you said you didn't write anything but have lots of ideas, so let's play! 🌤️How do you (would you) interpret the game mechanics in your fic?

Once again, thank you so much for sending me this!! it really truly means a lot <3

I’ve been drafting this response all week, but eventually I did just kinda let myself ramble. There are a lot of other ideas I have, but i’m going with this for now.

I think the way combat is broken down in bg3 is helpful to writers, especially those who may need guidance or inspiration when writing battles. It literally breaks down the things characters can feasibly do within the universe in one “turn.” 

For instance. Shadowheart uses her Action to cast Spirit Guardians to create protection for herself, then casts sanctuary on Gale with her Bonus Action because she knows he’ll need his Action to cast Mage Armor on himself. Meanwhile Lae’zel is running at the enemies approaching Shadowheart because she needs Concentration to maintain Spirit Guardians. Or does she also need concentration for Sanctuary…. SEE? I dunno I think it gives you a lot of fun things to play with… or to throw out and/or modify for your purposes (self indulgence and fun being absolutely valid ones).

You could further use your knowledge of the characters’ powers to help color the themes and vibes of your story. Maybe Wyll features a lot because you want to explore that deep and dark allure of the Infernal… and maybe you also want a lot of bloodshed. Karlach is already an obvious strong candidate for addition, but so is Lae’zel. Or maybe you just can’t stand being without that damned vamp and you want him to explore his infernal powers and influence after he ascends…

I think I’d like to see more writers include the Illithid powers in their stories.  Do they become an integral part of your battle strategy? Do you go too far? Do you feel yourself slipping into madness? Doing things you wouldn’t normally do? Which other characters in the party decide to use them? Does it strengthen the telepathic connection between those that do? Does that make it harder to turn off? Perhaps only you and your lover have used tadpoles and you’re practically in each other’s brains 24/7, then another companion decides to use one and suddenly they can hear…. Everything between you and lover. Everything.

Going back to that battle, some of these powers/game mechanics can factor in further with creating scenarios/interactions or dialogue… Lae’zel gets surrounded by enemies while Gale’s longer range spells keep enemy reinforcements at bay but you/Tav got stuck against a bugbear that just. wouldn’t. die. (Bad dice rolls) Finally Shadowheart’s Concentration breaks and an archer seizes the opportunity, hitting her with an exploding arrow that knocks her back into a stone wall that partially collapses on her. You realize you have to use your tadpole. You order Gale and Lae’zel to get Shadowheart and run for the entrance. You use Force Tunnel to fly to the center of where the enemies are grouped, knocking a few enemies aside and your Passive Ability Culling of the Fold finishes several of them off. Gale and Lae’zel have reached the cave entrance and turn back to look for you. You summon the Repulsor Ability to blow them all off their feet for good…and nothing happens. The Emperor whispers something in your ear about The Luck of the Far Realms, and suddenly the power that erupts from you explodes outward as if you’d never whiffed it in the first place. Once you’re safely out of the cave, Gale uses Telekinesis to take over carrying Shadowheart while Lae’zel charges you, shrieking terrible things in Githyanki. At least you imagine they’re terrible, based on the rage on her face. You stumble backwards a few steps, half-heartedly because you know there’s no escaping her. She sweeps your feet out from under you, and before you know it you’re on your back and Lae’zel’s knife is against your neck. She’s furious with you. How could you be so troubled by a lousy bugbear? How could you not be there to protect Shadowheart? How could you let her be hurt? Gale mutters something under his breath about being Bloodless every morning and he told you it would eventually catch up with you. 

I know a lot of us also like playing dress up with our characters, and I do too. I kind of love managing the inventory of the whole party. I’m not saying that the in-game system/UI is great, but I enjoy leveling up each character and tracking what they’re wearing to give them the best bonuses. I can imagine myself writing bits about inventorying the loot in the evenings at camp. Arguing whether or not Lae’zel or Karlach needs the armor upgrade more. Whether or not they should hold on to this necklace in case it’s needed later or let Gale eat it.

One thing I love doing is looting a LOT of armor, even stuff I know I won’t need. I send it to Karlach or Lae’zel, or Halsin once he joins the party. They can carry the most weight. Once they’re decently loaded up I take them to a merchant and sell all my wares. A waste of in game time? Lol probably, but it’s how I get enough coin to be able to buy any fancy armor/potions/weapons etc that I want to. But for a writer that could be a fun way to explore relationships, especially if you just made it two characters running that errand. Maybe the party finds a horse which you load up with your goods and then you could include any of the companions. I think that could also possibly be a cool way to frame the story. Like, every few chapters there’s a shorter one that’s just a long conversation while your characters make these trips. It could be your main ship. Or a side ship that brings some levity to break up the battles. It could always be the same two characters, or it could be Tav with a different character every time. Maybe they’re never from your main characters’ perspective. Maybe Scratch tags along and they’re written from his perspective.  You can track relationships, passage of time or distance they’ve trekked. The first few trips are to the Emerald Grove. One is from the camp by the lake, but the others are from the camp under the Blighted Village, and on those trips you have to watch out for rogue goblin patrols. Then suddenly they're walking through the endless night of the Shadow Cursed Lands, trying hard to keep each other’s spirits up. Karlach tells you all the stories she heard about Jaheira when she was younger. You vent to each other about camp struggles. Gale refuses to be convinced he doesn’t need to sacrifice himself. Astarion has been pensive and secretive since he learned his scars are in Infernal. Shadowheart is the only one not struggling with the curse and is determined to become a Dark Justiciar… When they reach Act 3/ Baldur’s Gate, one trip bumps them into an old friend of Karlach’s, and on another you stumble upon the Society of Brilliance.

And there’s obviously a wealth of story beats, moments, dialogues that you can pull right from the game (like I have done a lot here). Probably almost all fic I’ve read has done this, which I think is fun, and smart! You still get to write/choose how you get your story there. 

What do you guys think?

[brunchbitch]

thought i would do an update since it's been a while!

9/27/23

things are going well with settling in to seattle! i'm doing lots of wedding stuff - got measured for my dress and had a makeup trial last week so it's starting to feel real! 10 months from today! next steps are sending out save the dates and deciding on catering, which will be fun bc we get to taste test everything.

a is doing well! he is taking a creative writing course that starts this week, and hockey starts this week as well. the seattle kraken have an adult league with over 100 teams (!!). he had tryouts (i almost wrote auditions lol) a couple weeks ago and got placed in the second highest division! i'm excited to go see some games, but the first one is tomorrow night at 10:45!!!! so if that's any indication of average game times, maybe i won't make it lol.

it has been raining every day for about five days now... it's reminding me of one of the hardest parts of living in seattle. i need to invest in a happy lamp and get some vitamin d.

as for the job front, i'm feeling frustrated and, before calling the DOH this morning, very confused about my path towards being a licensed independent clinical social worker (licsw). the requirements are pretty different in seattle. you start out getting licensed as a social worker associate advanced (lswaa), which basically means i have the necessary education but haven't gotten required post grad supervision to apply for the next level, which is a licensed advanced social worker (lasw). i'm required to obtain 3200 hours of supervised experience under an licsw which, full time, would be about a year and a half. then i apply to be an lasw, and once i'm approved i can take my sw generalist exam. THEN to become an licsw, i need 4000 additional supervised hours (~2 years full time). so 3.5 years working full time before i can get my licsw, and then have to take the clinical exam. in ma, it would've taken 2 years to get my licsw. i'm not sure why wa state requires so much more, but it explains why the pay ranges have been higher than what i expected.

i've been studying for the exam, bc that's what would be the next step in boston. so that was wasted time lol. hopefully some of it will stick in my brain so i'm not starting from square one when i start studying again in ~a year and a half. so now i really need to just focus on getting a job. i've had one interview and they never even got back to me. i probably would've turned down the job anyway (not exactly what i was looking for - a lot of independent time and not much of an ability to collaborate with other social workers, which i think is important being a new grad), but it still would've been nice to be offered the job lol. i've been getting so discouraged but trying to remind myself that something will work out eventually. even if i hate the job, i can stick it out until i get my supervised hours at least. and then i can look elsewhere.

i have a screening today for a job that is pretty close by my house. it's a primary care center that serves a lot of people who have high resource needs. i was hoping for a more acute setting (like inpatient hospital), but it does seem some of the patients would be pretty acute. so we'll see how the screening goes.

mental health is good - i've really appreciated being able to see L again. still smoking a shit ton, which concerns her, but trying to do better this week.

luna and lia are good - they've definitely adjusted. lia is sleeping on top of her cat tree right now hehe. unfortunately luna is getting a dental done at the vet right now and she had to have two tooth extractions :(. she's had several extractions before due to resorptive lesions, but the last few years her teeth have been good so i was hoping they wouldn't have to take any out. so she'll be on pain medication for a few days, but she's been through that before. i'm going to shower her with love when she gets home!

[skeeballcatt22]

Even though Disgrace is really old and I've taken the ideas and stories for my own personal work, it's still a big part of my writing journey. Here's a scene I rewrote:

“It’s not a prank,” a cold voice seethed from the roof of town hall. Grian sat above them all, dark eyes shaded by shaggy and dirty bangs. Grian jumped down, landing on one knee right in front of Etho and Xisuma, displaying the blood stain on his back to the two. He stood up, straightening his ripped tank top.

“You okay there, dude?” Ren asked from the crowd.

Grian flipped his hair out of his face, giving a clear view to the myriad of scratches on his face. “Peachy.” He looked back at his admin and Etho and then back to the crowd.

 He leaned casually forward on the railing, clicking his tongue, “It’s not a prank, it’s not some big ‘gotchu’; I blew the mansion sky high. Wasn’t gonna finish it anyways,” He added the last part under his breath. Grian looked dictionary sick; pale skin, sunken eyes, and red nose. His expression sat neutral on his face, “And, y’know what? It’s really nothing to anyone’s concern, y’know?” He stood, stretching his back, “I’ll just rebuild it or something!”

Impulse stepped up, “We can help you, if you want,” He said, “We could help get you some of those materials back.”

“No, really, don’t bother with that--”

“Grian, really, if there’s something  you need help with we are here for you,” Cleo oftered.

Grian put his hand up before anyone else could speak, “I get it; y'all want to help me. I appreciate it, I really do, but I made this mess, and I alone will clean it up. I got upset and KA-BOOM! Y’know?” He laughed in a way that added to the strange air of his behavior.

A small part of Xisuma wanted to be proud of him for coming forward with what happened, but the rest of him was too unsettled by it to fully commit to that conclusion. Grian turned around and shoved his way through Etho and Xisuma to get into the town hall.

Mumbo narrowed his eyes from the back of the crowd, “We should go talk to him.”

“Why would we want to?” Bdubs said. Doc shoved him and walked with Mumbo to the steps of town hall. The hermits moved out of their way, Ren asking if they had any idea what was going on. Scar came with them, reassuring the hermits that, as their mayor, he would bring answers shortly. Iskall and Bdubs stayed behind.

They walked up the steps and Scar turned to address the crowd, “Now this was a strange way to start the day, and I can promise that answers will be brought shortly! I hope knowing that griefing isn’t a potential causation eases your nerves!” 

“We’ll go talk to him,” Mumbo told Xisuma. The admin gave a solemn nod. They walked into the town hall, the empty room devoid of the diamond throne, only Grian standing in the center, a clear view of the blood stain on his shirt.

“Grian-” Doc stepped forward first, Grian suddenly turning around, fists readied. He lowered his arms seeing Mumbo and Doc.

“Oh,” He said as if he wasn’t about to sucker punch Doc, “Sup guys.”

“Sup,” Mumbo said, laughing softly in an attempt to ease Grian’s nerves, “You doing okay, buddy?”

Grian’s smile looked like his own for the first time in… actually a while. “I should tell the truth shouldn’t I?”

“I think that would help everyone, yeah,” Doc said, harsher than he meant it.

“Yeah,” Grian chuckled, “Um, well, I just haven’t… felt like myself recently,” He started pacing, immediately putting off Doc and Mumbo. “I’m sure people have started to notice it, but my dumbass can’t remember how to act.” He stopped pacing and looked Mumbo and Doc in the eyes, another thing that made the room stale. “Like, you guys, you look terrified.”

“You don’t normally stare at me like that,” Mumbo admitted. 

“See!” Grian said, starting to pace again, “Let me guess, I don’t normally pace either?” Doc and Mumbo shook their heads. Grian sighed and stood still, eyes on the ground. “You want the truth? The truth-truth? I'm not the great builder you think I am. I’m not smart, I’m not socially adept, I’m not anything you think I am.” He looked away and crossed his arms, wincing, “I’m not what you think I am.”

[plotsjotsandespressoshot]

Things I have learned to do and Not Do to live a happier life

I acknowledge that Life has challenges and ups and downs no matter what: Being positive doesn’t mean you think that bad things will happen in your life.  It means that you know that they will, you take steps to avoid them, when you do have them you know that they will pass and let yourself feel the feelings without wallowing for long periods of time.  Bad things happen.  You will be fired from a job, someone you love will die, you will over draft your bank account.  It happens. 

I don’t take on peoples struggles as my own: This is a hard one because a lot of times people see this as not caring. I do care. I care alot. Sometimes I have cared too much and got dragged into bad situations. I am there to support and help my friends but if they are having mental health problems, have suicidal thoughts or other dark thoughts, I am doing us both a disservice by not getting them the professional support that they need.  I am not a therapist and I am not qualified to help the people that I love in that way.  But I will help them find the resources that they need.  That is the kindest thing I can do for both of us. 

I Have physical Hobbies: Making things with your own two hands is so underrated.  I make physical things.  I write on physical paper.  There is a special part of your brain that triggers the effort-driven rewards center in humans.  This means we get chemical satisfaction from making. 

I am not close friends with people I work with: This is something that I meant the hard way.  It can create a lot of cliques at work which always seem to turn out wrong and create animosity when people move on.  I’m civil and kind and once in a while we will hang out but I do set boundaries with the people that I work with. 

I use my interests to build community: Community can be hard! I use my hobbies and craft fairs to meet other people and build a supportive community of people who have simpler passions- not even always the same.  The maker community is great for this because it tends to be people with not exactly the same exact interests but with an abundance of passion for what they do.  Even if it's not the same exact thing, we always find common ground and feel each other's enthusiastic energy. 

I don’t make myself “not have’ Social media- Instead, I curate it: Look, we can unring the bell.  Social media is out there and it is our job to make it work for us.  Even if you can personally if you have a business you need to know how to use social media. I follow things that make me happy and invigorate me- dogs, pottery, fashion, goofy ocean videos, books.  My social media ALWAYS makes me happy because I have designed it that way.   

I journal every day:  At the beginning of the day I make a list of five things, experiences, or feelings I’m grateful for.  This means even when shit it’s the fan or gets hard, I already have those five good things in the back of my mind so I’m not in an overwhelming state of ‘this sucks’. 

I keep a planner:  People who feel rushed or forget things are going on tend to have a really hard time- just something I’ve noticed.  I keep a planner because I like knowing exactly whats going on so I can fir in other things or plan them for latter.  No one feels good when they have forgotten something or feel rushed or late. 

I go out and do things that have nothing to do with work:  When we’re young, we have a built-in system for the most part, to try new things.  As an adult we have to go an look.  You’re job is not your hobby…you rely on it which means there is pressure.  Find things that don’t make you feel pressure.

I touch trees/ grass whatever:  We are part of nature.  We need to be outside whenever we can (And its safe.).

I set firm hard boundaries and accept when people don’t fit into my life: Not everyone is going to like you or your boundaries and honestly, some people think that you are there to take care of them.  Unless you birthed them…you aren’t.  I set boundaries with people, because I have been built by this behavior before and would constantly be trying.  I have NEVER had this go well.  If people repeatedly cross boundaries and you communicate to them, they typically don’t stop. 

I let friendships flow and ebb:  Not everything is meant to last forever and that doesn’t mean its bad or that its any less important in your life.  This applies to jobs, homes and yes even people.  It doesn’t mean there is anything wrong with you or them. Some things last forever, some only last for a season and thats perfectly fine.

I don’t fight to feel younger or older:  I have stopped dying my grey hair.  I have stopped trying to fit into being ‘an adult’ and liking only adult things.  I will not let go of my weird obsession with bugs or anything else.  I embrace my aches and the fact that I will never run as fast as I did when I was 27.  That’s fine. 

I Prioritize eating and sleeping right:  I love eating right and getting my full 8 hours of sleep and am useless without it.  I make sure that this is one of my hard and fast boundaries not only because of my autoimmune disorder but my age and what I know I can handle.  I don’t fall into the insomnia camp unless I’ve already had a lovely long nap that day and I know it.  I make sure that I plan around this, go out to breakfast instead of dinner (Totally fun and totally cheaper) and make sure my friends know I want to be home by 9.   

I exercise every day- even if it's just going for a walk or doing 10 minutes of yoga:  I recently started doing yoga every day along with my normal workouts- just a nice ten-minute slow flow to reset.  It's really life-changing and makes me more aware of what my body needs and wants. 

I mind my manners: Even if I don't like a person, even if my boundaries have been repeatedly crossed, even if I'm attacked for no reason, I don't bite back. I am civil and nice and go my own way. It makes me feel so much better about situations that I don't have control over, which in adult life is a lot of them. You can't control how other people behave, but you can control how YOU behave, and in the end, that leaves you free.

[the-foolish-scholar]

Yo soy la mujer con un cara como payaso

In the spring semester of my first year at Miami, I enrolled into a political science class called, "Politics of the Middle East". The course's final required us to write a research proposal and personal statement, adhering to Fulbright's guidelines. I toyed around with different ideas but I ended up proposing a study based in Saudi Arabia meant to explore how the use of contraceptives had changed after the male guardianship laws had been rewritten, most notably allowing women to visit the doctor alone. I worked on the assignment for one night and one night only in the College Democrat's office. Periodically throughout that night I'd leave to get caffeine, something salty, or something sweet. I remember the stairway that I had to walk through to get those things pungently smelt like a mix of frosted sugar cookies and trash. After pulling an all-nighter, I was done and ready to turn in my essays. I ended up getting a 100% on that final, and my professor suggested that I consider actually applying for a Fulbright.

When I came back to Miami as a sophomore, I didn't really think of Fulbright that much. I was too focused on all the wrong things. I was still involved in politics and I dedicated most of my time and energy to being Membership Director for MUCD and later as the Campus Point for the Bernie campaign. On top of that, I was also busy with ADPi, the Urban Cohort, and my internship with the IRLC. Balancing all of that, along with a social life and academics proved to be tough. I took the picture below when I was at my busiest and most stressed point of the spring semester, because how tough could it really be to juggle one more thing? I thought that applying for a Fulbright wouldn't be that hard, since I got an A on my mock proposal/personal statement anyway.

About a year after I took that picture, I stepped back from politics and I got serious about applying. I made multiple meetings with the Fulbright Program Advisor and discussed potential research projects. I struggled to come up with a feasible project and became close to quitting. But then the most strange and vivid dream and I woke up knowing what I needed to do; I needed to study how one's social identities impacted their faith in a higher power. While working a full time job in Cincinnati at the Peaslee Neighborhood Center in the summer, I drafted my grant proposal and personal statement. I spent hours on the second floor of King Library every day after work, usually staying until close. When I wasn't writing or rewriting, I was in meetings receiving input to sharpen my application.

It all became very real when I had reached the on-campus deadline. I submitted my project and awaited my review from the campus committee. About two weeks after my submission, I had a meeting with the committee. I was pressed on my knowledge of current events in El Salvador as well as what I intended to research. One question about American values threw me off and I thought I had ruined everything but I was able to craft a clever response after a brief pause. I took the commentary the commission provided me with to heart and I made adjustments to my project, submitting for real about a week later. I made the meme above in hopes that I would one day get to post it along with a letter stating that I had won.

And then, the waiting game began. I remained calm for the most part. In January I was very fortunate to have a trip to El Salvador paid for by the Western Program at Miami University. I was on a delegation with El Centro de Intercambio y Solidaridad in honor of Rutilio Grande while I was there. One day we were visiting the cathedral and I found myself alone in the basement in front of Saint Romero's grave. For some reason, I felt compelled for the first time in nearly a decade to pray, and I prayed that I would win. Shortly after I arrived back in the United States, my prayer was somewhat answered, as I found out that I had advanced as a semi-finalist in the competition.

The nerves began to kick in after I had found out I was a semi-finalist. I applied knowing how hard it would be to win and I honestly never thought that I'd make it as far as I had. As people in the Slack began to announce that they had become finalists, I became a nervous wreck. I would reread my application over and over, in some sort of attempt to prophesize if I'd win or lose. The days leading up to my application notification were the most bizarre of all. My thoughts screamed that I'd be a failure but I felt this stillness inside of me that assured me everything would work out. I felt crazy for thinking I could be of the 20% who applied and won. I was never a 'good' student after all—just ask the people who knew me in high school. The night before I found out, I contemplated how I'd move forward if were to lose. I went to bed deciding to believe that winning was within reach, because it just felt good to believe in myself. Again, I had an intense dream, much more intense than the one I had prior. I woke up feeling as if I had stayed awake all night, despite getting a full eight hours of sleep. And then my phone pinged, I received an email letting me know my decision letter had been uploaded to the portal. And just like that, my dream came true.

Today is my first day in El Salvador as a Fulbrighter. I am looking forward to all that I will experience in these next ten months.

I could not have gotten here if it weren't for my community. I am eternally grateful to all of you who gave me edits, wrote me letters, talked me through ideas, and most of all, believed in me.

All posts about my work and my time here will be uploaded to this blog, https://the-foolish-scholar.tumblr.com (:

[recaptchaai]

The Second Sun

Prompt: write about how an issue we're grappling with today will have changed our daily lives 50+ years from now

Word Count: 1124 words

Content Warning: Some strong language

---

4:00.

Four A fucking M.

I wish I could smash that goddamn clock. All it tells is lies, lies, and more goddamn lies!

Even with the blackout curtains taped against the wall, a halo of light still escapes. Mostly out the top and bottom. Why did I have to get the bedroom with the fucking window?

I pinch the bridge of my nose as I rub my eyelids. Just accept it, I tell myself. You’re not gonna be able to get any sleep tonight. Hell, it’s never really night, is it?

I stand up from my desk, stretching. My phone’s notification area is blown up from my sleep app begging me to sleep and to lower the brightness of the room. Totally would if I could.

But I can’t.

So I go for a walk. Or try to, at least. I haven’t even stepped across the goddamn threshold of the front door before I’m bombarded with fucking holo-ads.

Try the new melatonin! 85% more likely to improve your night’s sleep!

Check out the latest and greatest phones! Think yours is fine and don’t need an upgrade? Too bad! It’s obsolete now!

Hover car AI is improving!

Tired of being called a loser? Get the new Mel 896, the #1 personal robot!

Coffee! Soda! Energy drinks! Caffeine! Caffeine! Caffeine!

Pushing past them into the fresh air, I set off to who knows where and try to take in the quieter scenery of the early morning while I’m at it. Maybe if I try really hard, I won’t notice the holo-ads. I scoff. Yeah, right.

I look up at the bright neon-colored sky. “Might be a cloudy day, huh?” I mutter to the ads. They all shutter and now they’re all weather reports, buy rain gear, and other unrelated things. I sigh as I look down at the concrete sidewalk.

I must’ve gone into a slight daze because by the time I look up, I’m at the local marine science center. Thankfully, as I open the tall wooden fence gate that leads to the back entrance, the holo-ads finally decide to leave me alone. The metal door makes a loud CLINK-CLANK that echoes through the empty building as I push it open. The blue light from the tanks is relaxing and several of the inhabitants come to the glass to greet me as I pass. Some of them do a little spin, which I mimic back with a carefree laugh while others just press against the glass. I eventually run into a very caffeinated, very sandy looking Dr. Honu, her graying hair more frazzled than normal.

“Ah, Lucky!” she says, a little startled. “Couldn’t sleep either, huh?”

“I lost track of time working on an assignment,” I weakly laugh, rubbing the back of my head. “What about you?”

“Oh, I went to go check on the turtle nests again. Was just popping back real quick to grab my sandwich.” She held up the small, hard tackle box that she used for both her lunch and the most obscure things that probably didn’t belong next to a sandwich. “Forgot to grab it earlier. Silly me! Now, come! I’m pretty sure the little guys are fightin’ their way out by now!”

She rushes away, her sand-crusted lab coat flowing behind her. “Wait, they’re hatching already?” I ask as I catch up to her. For a woman in her 60’s, she sure was fast. “I thought you said they wouldn’t hatch until next Tuesday.”

“Well!” Dr. Honu shouts a little too loud over the CLINK-CLANK of another metal door leading to the path to the beach, a slight craze in her eye. “They decided they wanted to brave the world a little early!”

Before we even set foot on the sand, we come across a lost hatchling. “Oh no, you silly goose,” Dr. Honu tells the baby turtle as she scoops them up. “The ocean is that way.”

We reach the nest, and after setting the little one back in the sand facing the ocean, Dr. Honu kneels down with a sigh, scanning for either more turtles or her things. I take out my phone and open the weather app.

Night Sky Brightness for Today: 9

As I look up with a sigh, the doctor is frantically trying to turn the poor turtles towards the sea and shoo the holo-ads away. “No, no, no! You don’t want to go that way! It’s all icky and not the ocean. Oh come on now! Just! Just work with me here! Go away, you, you stupid ad! I don’t need a new fridge! Go on! Shoo!”

After what feels like an eternity, the turtles stop coming. We both collapse onto the sand and Dr. Honu is finally able to take a bite of her sandwich. I look up at an increasingly naturally colored sky. “How did it get like this?” I quietly ask. It was rhetorical, but the doctor answered anyway.

“Because people don’t care. Yeah, it’s harder to sleep and all, but, like, you just buy blackout curtains.” She shoves away a brighter than normal holo-ad for said curtains and I ignore the one trying to blind me and sell duct tape. “Nobody cares about how they’re impacting the ecosystem. Nobody cares about seeing the stars. They’ll complain about rising energy prices, but they’ll never care enough to do anything about it.”

“Yeah,” I trailed off. We sat in silence for a moment before continuing. “My professor was talking to us the other day that a nine on the Bortle means basically nothing anymore. It’s been the most common class on the scale for several years now.”

“Yeah,” the Doc laughs. “It’s been a ‘nine’ here for two decades, at least.”

I look back. Holo-ads, big and small, float around the twisting neon vines of a fluorescent concrete jungle blanketed in a thick haze of smog and unnatural noise. It’s not even a big city, and we’re even on the outskirts, but it’s brighter than the sun rising in front of us. I grew up in a place very similar to here, with at least one sun constantly on the horizon and an eight was unheard of. It’s a miracle I even learned of astronomy, given that there is an entire generation who have only seen one star in their entire lifetimes.

I glance down at my phone. 6:28. We would’ve been watching the sunrise right now, but when the sky is perpetually light, it’s just another bright sun on the horizon. Nothing spectacular like the colors Dr. Honu has told me of. To think, at one point, nature was venerated for her beauty. I would hope to see the stars one day, but nobody cares. Nobody cares to do anything.

[maddisgonewild]

Angsty Writing

This piece was inspired by two songs by Mitski, Pink in the Night and Francis Forever. If you like trippy but also really angsty writing you'll like what's below the cut hehe

Silver Bells & Straw

Raindrops beat my back as I walk on a busy road near my house. With every step I feel the soles of my feet slip in the mud, threatening to bring me crumbling to the ground. A sense of impending doom looms in my head as dark as the clouds above me. Ignoring it, I try to focus on centering my feet on the soft ground below. Cars zoom past me and I think of the people inside of them. Are they happy? Are they sad? Are they conscious like me or am I the only one capable of thinking like this?

I look into the stores on the other side of the street and take in the fluorescent blue and red lights coming to life as the sun falls behind the black clouds. There are people in there too. A mother pats her child's head while a cashier smiles fondly at the sight. On the other end of the store, I see a lone lanky old man with ripped jeans and a stained brown t-shirt checking out the liquor section. Another car flies by, this time coming very close to me, but I find myself not very responsive. My senses feel as muddied as the wet dirt squelching below my feet. I think I’m crying but I can’t tell if it's from me or the rain falling in sheets from the sky. 

Turning onto my street, the droplets begin to fall slower around me. The houses lining the street are the same, down to their window placement and the cars sitting in each driveway. I wonder if the people inside them are all the same as well, with the same faces and bodies. Puddles below my feet splash with every step I take. Beads of water fall from the tips of my hair onto my shoulders, only making the cold feeling circulating in my blood even more apparent. A sudden and heavy feeling forces my eyes shut for a time but I continue walking, unafraid of the cars speeding down the street. Opening them, I find myself at a familiar tall black door and let myself in. 

Not a sound can be heard inside because I am the only soul here. I’m probably the only person in the world now because my walk outside was just a gray rainy dream. I lift my head to look at the single lamp illuminating the room, casting a pale yellow light on the dusty furniture and hardwood floor. More wetness pools around my neck and shoulders because of my hair, so I head to the bathroom to look for a towel. The only towel I could find was white with specks of green and black mold growing in the center of the degraded fluff. How long has it been on the ground?

After drying the matted mess on my head, the cracked mirror perched above the sink catches my attention. Inching closer, I get a glimpse of my face in the reflection staring back. I see cracked lips, crusted red dots splattered around my cheeks and chin, and wide pure black orbs unblinking. Disgusted, I retreat from the bathroom after taking down the mirror from the wall. All I can think about are the eyes that stared back at me. There’s no way those were mine. They were old, I could see the dark bags and fine lines around them. Besides, no one has black eyes. 

Particles of dust begin to settle in my lungs and a feeling of suffocation and doom wash over me again. I need to get outside, I can’t breathe, I can’t stay in this room anymore. My breathing hitches and I clutch at my chest trying unsuccessfully to calm myself. In a fit of desperation, I dash to the backdoor on the opposite side of the room. I can hear a familiar sound of laughter like silver bells slowly becoming louder. My lungs burn as I finally rip the door open and jump outside, slamming the door behind me. 

I put my hands on my knees while hunkering over the wet ground, trying to catch my breath. The tightness in my body fades as the panic dies down, and everything becomes quiet except for the croaking of frogs in the trees beyond the old wooden fencing that encircles me. Standing up, I feel the urge to swing on the bright yellow swing set just ahead of me in the corner near the fencing. I forgot that there was one even here, how could I forget the things in my own home? 

Up and down, up and down, up and down my body goes as I swing. I feel the world falling away and coming closer at the same time while my eyes are closed. Opening them I see pink-tinted grass and feel the cool evening breeze pass through my baggy shirt. The dark clouds above have parted a bit and I can see the azure sky. Bright Pink and dark purple clouds swirl around the blue sky to my right. To my left, the black storm clouds have intertwined themselves with the purple puffs just beyond my home. 

For once, I decided to sit there while humming to myself. I remember his laughter. It sounded just like those bells you see around Christmas time, constantly ringing and giving you a giddy feeling inside. Closing my eyes again, I get a glimpse of what’s left of him. I see his tall soft  silhouette, the outline of his pale face, and the wind blowing through his straw-colored hair. His cherry red lips move slowly, “I love you.” It drops out of his mouth like soft summer rain.

I love you, I love you, I love you. I hear it over and over from that silver tongue of his. His eyes, what color were his eyes? I see his face warped and distorted like a smeared oil painting similar to the old ones you look at in museums. Didn’t he smell like honeysuckles every time I kissed him in the crook of his neck? The pink clouds above me have become even brighter, with the golden rays of twilight highlighting the edges of them. I feel like some god above is punishing me. He was good, he was beautiful, and God he was innocent. Sweet from the first moment I met him to the last. Now his hair is forever colored that of pale yellow straw. 

Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out. I feel the rough ropes of the swing grate against my fleshy palms. I hear the frogs conversing in the trees. I smell the water on each blade of grass. I see the dulling pink and purple clouds above. My hair will turn gray, my eyes will be black, and I will always miss the pale laughing boy with yellow hair.

Hope you liked it! If you did I'll be taking requests soon!

[potatoesandsunshine]

ok i did my nice post w/ the finished project. here's the fun process post where i get to ramble on and on

^ i tried a new thing with these little mini pieces and i really like how it turned out! instead of attaching them to the cardboard that came with the frame, i made a little backing board myself w/ some felt and different thin cardboard. that way if i wanted i could take them out and put something else in the frames :)

^ then it was time to cut it out. shoutout to my disappearing ink marking pen, i always think it's useless until i NEED it and it saw a lot of play today

^ then it was time to break out the binder clips! when i do this on a 5x7 board it doesn't look so ridiculous :P but i need to make sure i have the embroidery centered where i want it and that i can keep the tension while i hot glue each side down, and the binder clips are the best way i've found to do it so far

^ i like to trim a little of the excess fabric off of it once all the glue is dry and i've fixed any mistakes, it just makes it easier to fit in the frame and gives me room to write the inscription! when it's a gift i write to/from and the date, but since these are just for me i didn't do that :) oh plus i got it with the lint brush at this step bc there were hot glue strings and fuzzes and stuff

and then i put it in the frame! and did it all over again with the rain piece 🌧️ these mini projects were SUPER fun to do and i did get some more of the little frames at the dollar store so! once i think of a design i'll probably do another!

[lily-of-rabanastre]

Ascilia—Chapter 09, Scene 01

Writing is getting difficult to focus on lately. Not feeling up to it. But have what I've finished thus far.

Walking the same path as they'd taken to reach the Studium several hours ago, Y'shtola and Ascilia took a sharp left turn. There they followed the path to yet another ostentatious edifice. But where the Studium was a place of learning, this one—Noumenon—was one of the world's greatest repositories of knowledge. And though Ascilia had been here on several occasions by now, every time she passed through its massive doors and gazed upon the thousand, thousand tomes held fast upon its many shelves, she couldn't help but feel in awe. "... To think the means I so tirelessly sought may actually exist but a few yalms away from where you found me napping," said Y'shtola, her voice little higher than a whisper. "If I had known of Alzadaal III and Vrtra's exploits sooner, I could well have saved myself days of research. Even a children's book might have pointed me in the right direction."

"It really does feel a touch like a hero's journey," Ascilia mused, matching her friend's hushed tones. "The heroine, uncovering a hidden clue, must return to where she began her adventure... but a children's book? That seems a bit hyperbolic..."

"To achieve the impossible, one must needs be flexible of mind and look beyond conventional wisdom," Y'shtola replied, glancing back over her shoulder with a bemused grin. "A lesson I'd already learned, but clearly hadn't taken to heart."

"True enough wisdom, I suppose," she whispered back, shrugging her shoulders. "So, where is this... 'Index Page'?"

Wordlessly, Y'shtola offered her hand. And as Ascilia took it within her own, her Archon friend guided her across the center catwalk. "We're looking for a mammet. I should be able to tell it apart from a Lalafell by its aether, but if you spot it first, do let me know."

"A mammet..."

Glancing about, Ascilia spotted several such automatons. Each was dressed in bright red clothes, and wore upon their bulbous mechanical heads a white wig. With no other discerning features among them, it seemed to her that deductive reasoning had served its purpose and so they'd have to question them one at a time. But then her gaze fell upon one in particular, standing aside from a suspicious looking wall jutting out from between the bookshelves.

"... Why don't we try that one over there?" she asked, pointing towards the mammet.

Looking over to where Ascilia directed her, Y'shtola narrowed her eyes. "... Hm. That would be the entrance to the restricted archives. For efficiency's sake, I suppose that makes sense..."

As the pair approached the aforementioned wall, the mammet she'd identified sprung to life, craning its head to look upon them. "Archon Y'shtola and Guest identified," it declared, its pale white eyes lighting up. "Follow me, if you would. Watch your step, and please note that the use of naked flames is discouraged."

The suspicious looking wall before them rumbled to life. As it slid open Ascilia half-expected it to reveal a hidden stairwell or lift. But instead the room beyond was empty of anything save for a device not unlike an aetheryte. The lower half of the device resembled a brazier, while a smooth transparent crystal filled with a pale blue light rested atop it.

"I've seen devices like these before," she said aloud, taking a moment to examine the crystalline lantern. "Way stones, the Ronkans called them. Or so claimed the history books one of my successors was fond of."

"One of your—" Y'shtola began, only to cut herself short with a soft gasp. "... Which... Minfilia would that have been?"

"Second to last," Ascilia replied, closing her eyes. Memories of the girls she'd shadowed over her hundred year odyssey resurfaced like pearlescent foam upon the sea. "She lived a longer life than most, and where most of her predecessors sought to fight the Sin Eater hordes directly, she believed the Oracle should serve in a supportive role instead."

[livingwithlosingyou]

Living with Losing You - 9/26/2022

Cooked myself dinner tonight!

This is actually a milestone though. I really haven’t cooked anything since you died. I never was big on cooking in general. especially since you loved it and it’s something that I would do for us. Or that you would do for us. It’s a simple meal, but it’s something. 

Today was a good day at work. It went mostly smooth. There was a situation that happened that I will have to address tomorrow, so I will be up bright and early. Otherwise, the meetings went well and I felt pretty productive! I worked from home today, but with that situation tomorrow and then the uniforms arriving, I will be in office on Tuesday and Wednesday. 

While I was working I got a call from the jeweler for the ring that I am having made that will have your ashes infused. I am excited for how this is going to turn out. It’s going to be so beautiful. I just wanted something special to remember you. This is one of a few things I plan to do (with your ashes, and in general). I will say it was a bit awkward talking about the extra ashes, but she said she would give them back to me, whatever she doesn’t use. I still can’t get over how odd it felt to scoop you out of the bag. It really just feels like a weird limbo dream (I should say nightmare). But, the deposit has been made and the ring is being created! 

Also, your dad and I had a great convo as well. He has been working through some of the administrative stuff since you passed. I have bene trying to help out with info as much as I can. He mentioned on the call that he saw that James Burton (who played that paisley that I got with Elvis) was doing a show in Nashville, but it is in November and I can’t make it out then. He mentioned that he reached out to him via email to try and get him to meet me and sign it. he told him the story about the guitar. I swear you were there with me that day when I bought it. I just knew I had to have it. 

I did have a OBGYN appointment to address the issues that I have had with my cysts. I cannot remember if I mentioned this, but I have had 5 cyst ruptures in the last year and a half or so. Pretty crazy. And pretty painful. Unfortunately I read the street wrong (I needed to go to the health center drive location versus the genetric center drive location) and I had JUST missed my appointment. Luckily the girl was able to reschedule me for tomorrow. On my way to this appointment I was almost involved in a car accident. The car in front of me slammed into the car in front of them who almost slammed into this massive semi semi truck. I say semi semi because it was a smaller version of a semi, but still large. I had to swerve out of the way and I kept driving. I really couldn’t have stopped anywhere safely given the position I was in. I hope everyone was okay. I passed it about 15 mins later (this was on my way to the wrong location initially) and it was already cleared except one car was left there. It does put into perspective that life is short and you truly never know. What legacy are we leaving? 

Practice today we had a workout, varsity boys did their mile repeats and the JV boys did their tempo. Coaching has been such a blessing. I have really enjoyed going to practice and mentoring. I also like that it gets me out in the sun and forces me to disconnect for a few hours toward the end of the day. The head coach is out on his honeymoon, so I have been stepping in. We had a new guy come who was interested in joining, so I wanted to give him the chance to get cleared. He seems very interested, and I am hopeful he could be a good addition! 

I left Sadie at home for the day, but she had an eventful weekend so she was fine. I couldn’t decide what I wanted to eat for dinner, so I ended up going to Sprouts and buying some groceries for the next few days. It’s so weird to go to KY without you. I miss traveling with you. I miss you in general. I need to remind myself tomorrow to set an alarm for Wednesday to check in. Hopefully writing in this blog will be that reminder.

MADISON - SET AN ALARM FOR WEDNESDAY TOMORROW!

Anyway, I as proud of myself cause as I mentioned, I finally cooked a meal. This is the first time I have cook since you took your life. It wasn’t anything extravagant, but it was something. When I get back from KY I want to make it a goal to eat at home and cook more. It’s the little things. 

I made the mistake of logging onto my emails last night and saw some work stuff that came in that stressed me out a little bit. Tomorrow is going to be chaos, but that’s life. 

I need to go to bed, I love you!

Rest in Peace, James Burton Nichols

10/1/1993 - 7/16/2022